CHELMSFORD, Mass. - ZOLL Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: ZOLL), a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, today reported that St. Francois County Ambulance District, which serves 57,000 people, has recently deployed three ZOLL AutoPulse® Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pumps in their district. It joins a growing list of EMS agencies in the state of Missouri that are deploying the AutoPulse at a rapid rate. Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla, Mo., also is using the device in its Emergency Department.
According to David Tetrault, CCEMT-P, and Administrator for St. Francois Ambulance District, “The AutoPulse is a wonderful addition to our CPR efforts, and we can’t wait to buy enough units to outfit our entire ambulance fleet. When we use the AutoPulse, we see dramatic pulses in the lower extremities of cardiac arrest patients, which we rarely obtain with only manual chest compressions. We see a noticeable improvement in the skin color of patients, which is a clear sign of improved blood flow. I cannot say enough about the AutoPulse’s ability to improve chest-compression performance, as well as circulation. Our crews love the AutoPulse because they believe that it helps them give patients a better chance of surviving cardiac arrest.”
Other Missouri agencies that currently use the AutoPulse as part of their resuscitation efforts include Carroll County Ambulance District, Chillicothe Emergency Services, Herman Area Ambulance District, Latshaw Enterprise, Macon County Ambulance, Marthasville Community Ambulance, Metro Emergency Transport Service, Newton County Ambulance District, Normandy Fire Protection District, Prairie Township Fire, St. Charles County Ambulance District, Union Ambulance, and Warren County Ambulance District. More than 235 EMS agencies and hospitals worldwide employ the AutoPulse.
First AutoPulse Save in Missouri: St. Charles County Ambulance District
St. Charles County Ambulance District is the largest district in Missouri, serving more than 311,000 people. Last year, paramedics Mike Kiefer and Chris Jennings, and Supervisor Mike Hansen, responded to a sudden cardiac arrest in Wentzville, Mo. They arrived quickly at the residence and found 47-year-old Calvin Boyd pulseless and breathless. The crew defibrillated Mr. Boyd seven times, opened his airway, and administered drugs. They then used the AutoPulse. Within minutes, Mr. Boyd had a pulse and a blood pressure of 105/60. One week from the day of his arrest, Mr. Boyd walked out of the hospital neurologically intact.
In media interviews, Mr. Boyd said that he remembered little about what happened, but was grateful to paramedics for saving his life. Mr. Boyd was the first person in Missouri to be saved with the AutoPulse.
About the AutoPulse
New AHA 2005 Guidelines note that interrupting chest compressions can decrease the rate of survival from cardiac arrest.* The AutoPulse is an automated, portable device with a simple, load-distributing LifeBand® that squeezes the entire chest in a consistent, uninterrupted “hands-free” manner, delivering maximum blood flow to the heart and brain*. Additionally, it offers the benefit of freeing up rescuers to focus on other life-saving interventions.
About ZOLL Medical Corporation
ZOLL Medical Corporation is committed to developing technologies that help advance the practice of resuscitation. With products for pacing, defibrillation, circulation, ventilation, and fluid resuscitation, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS professionals, and lay rescuers resuscitate sudden cardiac arrest or trauma victims. ZOLL also designs and markets software that automates the documentation and management of both clinical and non-clinical information.
ZOLL markets and sells its products in more than 140 countries. The Company has direct operations, distributor networks, and business partners throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. For more information, visit www.zoll.com or call +1 (978) 421-9655.