2009 Year in Review

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MCH Now Equipped With AutoPulse

Morrison Community Hospital announced recently that it is equipped with a new tool to help MCH staff treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The ZOLL AutoPulse® Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pump can improve blood flow to the heart and brain during SCA. The AutoPulse can achieve these never-before-seen levels of circulation because of the unique, consistent chest compressions it generates. It can move more blood more effectively than any other method used today in Whiteside County.

“Once a person is in cardiac arrest, every minute counts to get the heart beating normally again,” said Steve Paulsen, Director of Ambulance Services. “For every minute that passes the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent. After 10 minutes, survival is unlikely. Our goal is to protect lives, and this purchase is an important step in helping to achieve that goal. I have been an EMT for more than 16 years, and I have never seen a device that does what the AutoPulse does. With it, we are better prepared to deal with SCA.”

Steve Paulsen also noted that another benefit of the AutoPulse is its ability to perform these consistent chest compressions as clinicians transport a patient. Whether in the back of an ambulance or on a hospital gurney, the AutoPulse also helps to ensure clinician safety during a rescue.

The human toll from SCA is alarming. It is the leading cause of unexpected death in the world and strikes without warning. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 460,000 deaths each year from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Currently, only about 5 percent of victims survive; 95 percent will die from SCA. The American Heart Association estimates that focusing on a strong Chain of Survival (early access to care, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced medical care) can increase survival rates to 20 percent or more, and could save at least 40,000 lives each year.

The major emphasis of 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines is on performing effective, high-quality CPR. The 2005 Guidelines recommend that when attempting defibrillation, rescuers should deliver one shock followed by immediate CPR, beginning with chest compressions for 2 minutes. Furthermore, the Guidelines note that the better the chest compressions performed (i.e., with adequate rate and depth and allowing complete chest recoil), the more blood flow they produce. The more interruptions in chest compressions, the worse the victim’s chance of survival from cardiac arrest is. According to the 2005 Guidelines, load-distributing band CPR (LDB-CPR), which the AutoPulse utilizes, “may be considered for use by properly trained personnel as an adjunct to CPR for patients with cardiac arrest in the out-of-hospital or in-hospital setting (Class IIb).”

The AutoPulse—the only device of its kind—delivers the consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions that the new AHA Guidelines are calling for. It is an automated, portable device with an easy-to-use, load-distributing LifeBand® that squeezes the entire chest in a consistent, uninterrupted “hands-free” manner, improving blood flow to the heart and brain during cardiac arrest. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

by Dawn Zuidema, theCity1.com
January 20, 2009

 

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