February 12, 2013 - Tigre Becomes First Heart Safe City in Argentina by Implementing AED Plus
MEDIA CONTACTS: |
Diane Egan |
TIGRE BECOMES FIRST HEART SAFE CITY IN ARGENTINA BY IMPLEMENTING ZOLL AED PLUS
Over 4,000 Citizens Trained in CPR and How to Use the AED Plus
February 12, 2013—CHELMSFORD, MASS.—ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that the city of Tigre in the Province of Buenos Aires, has installed ZOLL AED Plus® units in public areas throughout this popular tourist destination, making it the first Heart Safe City in Argentina.
The city government partnered with community leaders, commercial establishments, and the tourism industry to strategically locate the AED Plus units and encase them in “totem pole” stations in heavily trafficked areas. These vivid red kiosks are brightly labeled “Public Access Defibrillator” and painted with instructions on how to use them. The city’s emergency response bicycle patrols, its emergency response vehicles, as well as all police units, were equipped with the AEDs.
The “cardio-protect” program also included a massive CPR training program in which over 4,000 lay personnel from fruit vendors and bus drivers to those working in area shops, restaurants, marine terminals, and transportation systems learned CPR and how to use the AED Plus. A YouTube video in Spanish shows the magnitude of the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYkiSD13MEM&feature=youtu.be.
“Realizing that we could improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by teaching people CPR and how to use an AED, we decided to implement the community-wide program,” said Juan Manual Carballido, Director of EMS, City of Tigre. “We chose ZOLL because it was the only complete solution that included both the AED Plus and CPR training. Most critically, the AED Plus offers Real CPR Help®, real-time CPR feedback that coaches the lay rescuer through each step of the chain of survival and guides them to the correct depth and rate of chest compression. It is extremely user friendly.”
“It’s our hope that other communities will emulate Tigre’s program once they see the impact that good-quality CPR and publicly available AEDs can have on saving lives. Having AEDs available in public places is integral to survival when every second counts,” said Jonathan Rennert, President of ZOLL.
About the AED Plus
The ZOLL AED Plus is the first and only Full-Rescue AED that provides Real CPR Help for the depth and rate of chest compressions during CPR. This feedback technology helps rescuers provide high-quality manual CPR with real-time audio and visual feedback to help them achieve the proper depth and rate of CPR chest compressions. The AED Plus guides rescuers through the complete Chain of Survival, helping all sudden cardiac arrest victims, not just those who need a shock.
About Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
SCA, an abrupt disruption of the heart’s function, which causes a lack of blood flow to vital organs, claims more than 1 million lives worldwide each year. It is the leading cause of unexpected death in the world and strikes without warning. Currently, only about 5 percent of victims survive; 95 percent will die from SCA.
About Tigre, Argentina
Tigre, a community of about 380,000, is located 17 miles north of Buenos Aires. The town sits next to several islands, streams, and rivers in the Paraná Delta, making it an important tourist and weekend attraction that’s easily reached by bus, rail, and water ferries.
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 the 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 © 2013 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. AED Plus, Real CPR Help and ZOLL are trademarks or registered trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Asahi Kasei is a registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.