June 19, 2012 - Oxford County EMS First in N.A. to Use Integrated Automated Compression-Defibrillation System
MEDIA CONTACT: |
Diane Egan |
OXFORD COUNTY EMS FIRST IN N.A. TO USE ZOLL’S INTEGRATED AUTOMATED COMPRESSION-DEFIBRILLATION SYSTEM
First Use of AutoPulse Plus System Helps Save Life of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victim
June 19, 2012—CHELMSFORD, MASS.—ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that Oxford County EMS in Ontario, Canada, is the first emergency service in North America to use a revolutionary new system that allows rescuers to defibrillate a heart without stopping chest compressions for defibrillation.
Four days after the 12 ZOLL AutoPulse® Plus systems and 18 ZOLL E Series® Monitor/Defibrillators were integrated on the service’s ambulances, the first use of one of the automated compression-defibrillation systems resulted in resuscitating a 57-year-old sudden cardiac (SCA) arrest victim. Integrating the AutoPulse Plus with an E Series enabled the victim’s heart to be shocked without the need to stop chest compressions.
Nicholas Visser, a delivery driver for DeJong Enterprises, a major Canadian furniture transporter, had collapsed while standing in a breakfast line with co-workers. Oxford County EMS arrived with the AutoPulse Plus system six minutes after Visser’s colleagues called 911 and started CPR.
“By applying the AutoPulse Plus, we were able to get a return to spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after the fifth shock, indicating we were heading in the right direction. Current research suggests the ability to maintain high-quality CPR yields the best chance for survival,” said Joseph Pember, Manager of EMS for Oxford County. “The AutoPulse Plus allowed us to deliver a shock without stopping CPR compressions and helped us achieve a successful conversion well into the code.”
“Our number one goal in purchasing the AutoPulse Plus was to minimize interruptions to CPR to less than 5 seconds every two minutes,” Pember explained. “We find that during a code upwards of 30 percent of the time trained CPR personnel are not performing CPR due to interruptions. We average about 110 sudden cardiac arrests a year, and this technology has great potential to save more of those lives.”
“We consider this new innovation an essential component to the delivery of a better quality of service to residents of Oxford County and we’re excited about the potential it has,” added Stephen Turner, Education & Quality Practice Supervisor for Oxford County EMS.
Upgrading to the AutoPulse Plus system was the next obvious evolution for Oxford County EMS, which was the first service in Canada to begin using the AutoPulse six years ago. “Our experience with the AutoPulse was outstanding, enabling us to achieve an initial three-fold increase in ROSC, ” Turner added.
He explained that another key benefit of the AutoPulse/AutoPulse Plus is that it ensures the safety of paramedics in the back of a moving ambulance beause they can be seatbelted in while chest compressions are delivered by the AutoPulse.
“During our prolonged transports of 15 to 20 minutes, it’s unbelievable how hazardous attending to a patient in the back of an ambulance can be,” he said. “The AutoPulse both ensures uninterrupted high-quality CPR and provides safety by allowing paramedics to be seated and restrained at the same time.”
About the Automated Compression-Defibrillation System
Like the AutoPulse, the AutoPulse Plus helps provide the consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions called for by the American Heart Association Guidelines. It is an automated, portable device with an easy-to-use, load-distributing LifeBand® that squeezes the entire chest, improving blood flow to the heart and brain during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). It may offer a significant advantage over manual CPR, moving blood more consistently with fewer interruptions than when delivered by human providers.
The AutoPulse Plus connects directly to the E Series Monitor/Defibrillator. This provides real-time integrated operation of the AutoPulse Plus and the E Series and allows consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions with timed shock delivery. Integrating these two therapeutic interventions into a seamless rescue effort has long been viewed as critical to advancing resuscitation care. Stopping chest compressions during defibrillation results in a rapid fall in coronary perfusion pressure. The AutoPulse Plus is not yet available for sale and distribution in the U.S. as it requires FDA 510(k) review and clearance.
The E Series was designed by EMS professionals to meet the specific demands and extreme conditions that professional rescuers face every day. Like all other ZOLL defibrillators, the E Series provides Real CPR Help®, which improves CPR quality by providing real-time feedback on the depth and rate of chest compressions. In addition, See-Thru CPR® helps to minimize duration of pausing by allowing the rescuer to see organized underlying rhythms during compressions. The E Series also offers an easy-to-use, wireless 12-lead transmission feature.
About Sudden Cardiac Arrest
SCA, an abrupt disruption of the heart’s function, which causes a lack of blood flow to vital organs, claims more than one million lives globally each year. It is the leading cause of unexpected death in the world and strikes without warning. Survival is poor at less than eight percent, but improvements in resuscitation practices could save as many as half of these victims.
About Oxford County EMS
Oxford County EMS is part of Public Health & Emergency Services at the County of Oxford, Ontario, Canada. The department works to keep people healthy and safe through programs in prevention, protection, and emergency response. Oxford County EMS responds to more than 10,000 emergency calls annually and transports more than 9,000 patients from seven EMS stations across Oxford County. Visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/health to learn more.
About ZOLL Medical Corporation
ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and monitoring, circulation and CPR feedback, data management, fluid resuscitation, and therapeutic temperature management, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, and lay rescuers treat victims needing resuscitation and critical care. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.
About Asahi Kasei
The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the chemicals and fibers, homes and construction materials, electronics, and health care business sectors. Its health care operations include devices and systems for critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, transfusion, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals, diagnostic reagents, and nutritional products. With more than 25,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/asahi/en/.
Copyright © 2012 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. AutoPulse, E Series, LifeBand, Real CPR Help, See-Thru CPR,and ZOLL are registered trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All product names are the property of their respective owners.
*not available for use in the US