|
About ZOLL Medical Corporation and the AED Plus
ZOLL
Medical’s goal is to make early defibrillation more
accessible. Every year more than 950,000 adult Americans
die from cardiovascular disease, making it the No. 1
cause of death in the United States. Sudden cardiac
arrest claims the lives of at least 250,000 of those
Americans before they reach a hospital. Cardiac arrest
strikes people of all ages and fitness levels, usually
without warning. Many of these lives could be saved if
bystanders act promptly to phone 911 and begin CPR, and
if trained responders provide defibrillation within
minutes. The Automated External Defibrillator or AED has
made it possible for the general public to use these
devices within the community and save lives.
The AED Plus is more than a defibrillator. ZOLL has
developed a full resuscitation device which not only
delivers a shock to a patient when necessary but it also
reinforces your CPR training by voice and visual prompts
going through all of the steps to CPR. By focusing on
the full
Chain of Survival
and supporting effective CPR, the ZOLL AED Plus is the
first and only Full-Rescue AED.
"With every passing minute after sudden cardiac arrest
occurs, a victim's chance of survival decreases by 10
percent," says Richard A. Packer, President and Chief
Executive Officer of ZOLL Medical. "Due to this limited
timeframe, AED’s in the workplace are essential because
many factors--from large corporate campuses to heavy
urban traffic--can make it challenging for emergency
medical services to arrive in time to successfully treat
an SCA victim."
 
The ZOLL AED PLUS can do the following:
-
Perform periodic self tests to ensure its continual
readiness.
-
Use one piece electrode assembly that facilitates proper
electrode placement and is easy to apply to the
patient.
-
Analyze heart rhythm and inform the rescuer if the
rhythm is shockable or non-shockable.
-
Deliver defibrillation treatment to victims of cardiac
arrest who exhibit shockable ECG rhythms.
-
Provide voice prompts and graphics to guide the rescuer
regarding what to do and when to do it during a
cardiac emergency, such as calling for help or
giving CPR to the patient.
-
Provide audible beeps to encourage rescuers to provide
CPR compressions at 100 CPM (requires CPR-D padz).
-
Monitor the depth of chest compressions during CPR and
provide voice prompts, if compression depth is
inadequate (requires CPR-D padz).
-
Upload data from the defibrillator to a PC to store
events or print event reports.
-
Use commercially available batteries.
Facts About Sudden Cardiac Arrest & CPR
-
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of
death in adults. Most SCA’s occur in persons with
underlying heart disease.
-
75% of all SCA happen in people's homes.
-
The typical victim of SCA is a man in his early 60's and
a woman in her late 60's.
-
SCA occurs twice as frequently in men compared to women.
-
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) doubles a person's
chance of survival from SCA.
-
In SCA, the heart goes from a normal heartbeat to a
quivering rhythm called ventricular fibrillation
(VF). This happens in approximately two-thirds of
all cardiac arrests. VF is fatal unless an electric
shock, called defibrillation, can be given. CPR does
not stop VF but CPR extends the window of time in
which defibrillation can be effective.
-
CPR provides a trickle of oxygenated blood to the brain
and heart, and keeps these organs alive until
defibrillation can shock the heart into a normal
rhythm.
-
If CPR is started within 4 minutes of collapse and
defibrillation provided within 10 minutes, a person
has a 40% chance of survival.
Frequently Asked Questions About AED’s
What is an AED?
An
automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable
device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if
necessary, allows a rescuer to deliver an electric shock
to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. This shock, called
defibrillation, may halt the rapid and chaotic heart
activity of sudden cardiac arrest, and help the heart to
re-establish an effective rhythm of its own.
How do
AED's work?
The AED
is attached to the cardiac arrest victim by a cable
connected to two adhesive pads placed on the victim's
chest. Electrical signals from victim's heart are sent
to the AED through the pad and cables for analysis; a
micro-processor then analyzes whether or not an electric
shock is needed. The rescuer simply follows verbal voice
prompts from the AED. If a shock is required the rescuer
need only to press the shock button for defibrillation.
(The AED will not allow the rescuer to deliver an
inappropriate shock).
How much space will it take up?
About the size of a laptop computer, an AED typically
consists of a main unit that provides controls and
instructions, and detachable electrodes that the rescuer
puts on the victim's body. The latest AED’s are
remarkably simple to use and weigh around 6-8 lbs.
Why are AED’s important?
AED’s are important because they strengthen the
Chain of Survival.
They can restore a normal heart rhythm in victims of
sudden cardiac arrest. New, portable AED’s enable more
people to respond to a medical emergency that requires
defibrillation. When a person suffers a sudden cardiac
arrest, their chance of survival decreases by 7% to 10%
for each minute that passes without defibrillation.
AED’s save lives!
Who can use an AED?
Most AED’s are designed to be used by non-medical
personnel such as police, firefighters, flight
attendants, security guards, and other lay rescuers
who have been properly trained. Having more people
in the community who can respond to a medical emergency
by providing defibrillation will greatly increase sudden
cardiac arrest survival rates.
Why should people who are responsible for operating an
AED receive CPR training?
Early CPR is an integral part of providing lifesaving
aid to people suffering sudden cardiac arrest. The
ventilation and compression skills learned in a CPR
class help to circulate oxygen-rich blood to the brain.
After delivering a series of electric shocks, the
typical AED will prompt the operator to continue CPR
while the device continues to analyze the patient.
Will an AED always resuscitate someone in cardiac
arrest?
The AED treats only a heart in ventricular fibrillation
(VF), an irregular heart rhythm. In cardiac arrest
without VF, the heart doesn't respond to electric
currents but needs medications. The victim needs
breathing support. AED’s are less successful when the
victim has been in cardiac arrest for more than a few
minutes, especially if no CPR was provided.
Is an AED safe to use?
An AED is safe to use by anyone who's been trained to
operate it. Studies have shown the devices to be 90%
sensitive (able 90% of the time to detect a rhythm that
should be defibrillated) and 99% specific (able 99% of
the time to recommend not shocking when defibrillation
is not indicated). Because of the wide variety of
situations in which it will typically be used, the AED
is designed with multiple safeguards and warnings before
any energy is released. The AED is programmed to deliver
a shock only when it has detected VF. However, potential
dangers are associated with AED use. That's why
training
— including safety and maintenance — is important.
 The
AHA recommends that persons who live or work where an
AED is available for use by lay rescuers participate in
an AED Training Course. AED’s are so user-friendly that
untrained rescuers can generally succeed in attaching
the pads, pressing ANALYZE (if required), and delivering
shocks. However, untrained rescuers may not know when to
use an AED, and they may not use an AED safely, posing
some danger of electric shock to themselves and others.
Also, untrained rescuers probably would not know how to
respond to the victim if the AED prompts "no shock
indicated." An operator needs only to follow the
illustrations on the electrode pads and the control
panel and listen and follow the voice prompts (for
example, "Do not touch the patient."). An AED will
deliver a shock only when a shock is advised and the
operator pushes the SHOCK button. This prevents a shock
from being delivered accidentally.
What
is public access to defibrillation?
Public access to defibrillation (PAD) means making AED’s
available in public and/or private places where large
numbers of people gather or people who are at high risk
for heart attacks live.
Can anyone buy an AED?
AED’s are manufactured and sold under guidelines
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Current FDA rules require someone who purchases an AED
to present a physician's prescription for the device.
How much does an AED cost?
The price of an AED varies by make and model, and range
from $2000 - $5000 including training. ACS will be happy
to recommend a package that fits your needs. Please call
1.800.55.HELPS for a quote.
What steps should an organization take to buy an AED for
its premises?
Any person or entity wanting to buy an AED must first
get a prescription from a physician. The AED should be
placed in use within a defibrillation program that
includes these elements:
-
Training of all users in CPR and operation of an AED.
-
Physician oversight to ensure appropriate maintenance
and use of the AED.
-
Protocols for reporting an emergency.
-
Notification of local EMS of type and location of AED.
There are several things that can reduce risk and insure
your AED program will run smoothly. Comply with your
state's AED laws, which in general require the
following:
-
Implement a responsible training and retraining plan.
-
Obtain physician oversight for your AED program.
-
Maintain up-to-date device maintenance and training
records.
-
Let all employees know about the AED, where it is
located, and how to call for on-site emergency help,
as well as the importance of immediately calling 911
(or other local emergency numbers).
Each state has specific requirements for establishing an
AED program. These requirements typically cover
obtaining an AED, training and medical oversight. The
Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2000 provides
additional Good Samaritan protection against liability
for properly trained lay rescuers and acquirers of AEDs.
Click here
to find out about the laws applicable to your state.
Chain of Survival
Study results, announced at the 2004 National
Association of EMS Physicians Conference, showed that
lay rescuers followed more steps in the AHA Chain of
Survival using the ZOLL AED Plus than other available
AED’s. In addition, the ZOLL AED Plus helped study
participants significantly improve chest compressions
during CPR, with an average 250% increase in the depth
of compression. There was no improvement in compressions
with any other device used in the study. The study
suggests AED’s that providing support-prompts to assist
with carrying out steps in the Chain of Survival may
help achieve higher survival rates for out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest. The study was directed by Dr. Steven
Miller of Harvard Medical School.
ACS will be happy to recommend a package that fits your
needs.
Please call
(800)55-HELPS for a quote.
For
Order Request or more Information.
Products' Main Page
>
AED+PLUS
|
