Oxford County EMS First Agency in North America to Use ZOLL’S Integrated Automated Compression-Defibrillation System

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.