News

Introducing Pocket First Aid & CPR, now available for the Apple iPhone.

The American Heart Association's Pocket First Aid & CPR application
includes the most up-to-date emergency information from the American
Heart Association.

Features & Benefits

Included Items

Availability

Review first aid procedures:
• anytime
• anywhere
• from your home
• in your car
• in the wilderness

• Illustrations
• Videos
• Storage of information on your iPhone
• Updates for recent information
and AHA
Guidelines

First aid can and does save lives.
Be as prepared
as possible with Pocket First Aid
& CPR!

Hands-Only™ CPR: Two Steps To Save A Life
Hands can do incredible things, but nothing compares to using them to save a life. The American Heart Association and the Ad Council have launched a public service advertising campaign to raise awareness about Hands-Only CPR, the simple, two-step technique that can help save a life. To learn more, visit Hands-Only CPR website.

Ewy's Mission: Saving Lives Using Continuous Chest Compressions

By mnewman

Created 01/25/2010 - 2:21pm

International resuscitation experts to consider recommending this protocol during meeting next week in Dallas

TUCSON, Ariz.–For more than two decades, Dr. Gordon Ewy has been on a crusade to change the way people are treated for sudden cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in the nation. The 76-year-old cardiologist and director of the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center has challenged what for years was a kind of sacred cow in the medical profession and a prescription for good Samaritan behavior worldwide: the mouth-to-mouth rule of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.

Ewy (pronounced AY-vee) has pioneered the use of chest compression-only CPR on adults whose hearts suddenly stop pumping. Mouth-to-mouth only detracts from the more effective compressions, he insists. Since the mid-1990s, Ewy's advocacy has often been a thorn in the side of venerable medical establishments such as the American Heart Association. Ewy has written letters in medical journals demanding change and accused the association, whose influence is strong, of not moving quickly enough.

In the past five years, though, there has been a gradual realization that the outspoken Tucson doctor is on to something. In a major shift in 2008, the American Heart Association issued an advisory that said compression-only CPR can be used to save lives and is an option for people who aren't trained in CPR or who are unsure of their CPR abilities. People who are trained can do either, it says. The advisory applies only to cases of adults in cardiac arrest, not children, and excludes drowning and drug-overdose cases. Now, the compression-only version may be on the verge of going worldwide, as an international health group considers whether to revise its guidelines to make it the preferred method.

Not everyone has bought into Ewy's approach. Evidence is mixed. Research in the U.S., Netherlands and Japan has found that chest-compression-only yields similar or better survival rates than standard CPR. Some European studies report better results with mouth-to-mouth. Still, Ewy is convinced it's only a matter of time before compression-only CPR becomes the standard for cardiac arrest.

Every year, cardiac arrest kills about 325,000 people in the U.S. Its main underlying cause is heart disease, and the majority of cardiac arrests happen outside the hospital.

As bad as that is, prospects were worse for victims before modern CPR emerged about five decades ago. Two American doctors, Peter Safar and James Elam, are credited with inventing CPR, and the technique spread rapidly after the American Heart Association endorsed the idea in 1963.

CPR works under the premise that pressing on the chest moves blood to the vital organs while mouth-to-mouth breathing gets oxygen into the lungs. When a person's heart stops beating, the first few minutes are critical. If nothing is done, the chance of survival drops 7 to 10 percent every minute.

Ewy says the compression-only method is better than standard CPR for a simple reason: In standard CPR, when a rescuer stops after 30 compressions to give two breaths, the blood stops moving through the patient's body, essentially starving the organs. Continuous compressions keep the blood flowing. Doing only those also is simpler and easier to remember than standard CPR.

Next week, Ewy will fly to Dallas for a meeting of the world's major resuscitation groups. No one knows whether the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) will endorse compression-only CPR as the preferred method. It's fair to say the discussion will be controversial and Ewy again could face an uphill battle.

What is ILCOR?

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) includes eight international resuscitation organizations: the American Heart Association (AHA), European Resuscitation Council (ERC), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), Resuscitation Council of Asia (RCA), Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa (RCSA), the Australian and New Zealand Council on Resuscitation (ANZCOR), and the InterAmerican Heart Foundation (IAHF). To follow developments, visit http://www.americanheart.org/ilcor .

What is Hands-Only CPR? Visit http://handsonlycpr.org .

SOURCES: Associated Press, Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.azstarnet.com

A Survivor's Story

By Jerry Laws

Dec 01, 2009

Everything went right for Joe Moscato on July 22, which explains why he's alive to sing the praises of prepared emergency responders and high-quality automated external defibrillators. Moscato works for AED manufacturer Philips Healthcare, although he's learning products manager for the medical supplies group and not involved with its AED division. But if an AED hadn't been used to revive him July 22 when he collapsed in a hallway of his office building on the company's Andover, Mass., campus, things might have turned out much differently.

Moscato, who exercises frequently and plays on a championship seniors baseball team, said he had no warning a sudden cardiac arrest was imminent. He gets annual physicals and had taken a complete stress test about a year earlier that revealed no problems. His cholesterol was borderline but required no medication, Moscato's doctor said.

"Joe is a healthy-looking man in good physical shape. He's not obese, there's no sign of overweight, and he exercises regularly. You've got to make sure that's stressed in the article," said Kate Rochford, clinical specialist at Philips Healthcare and a registered nurse. A member of the company's emergency response team (ERT), she was in a meeting when an emergency audio page at 4:59 p.m. summoned her, giving her the exact location where Moscato lay.

'There Was No Warning'
"I was just lucky in a lot of different ways that day," Moscato said. He did his normal workout in the company's gym earlier than usual July 22 because three former teammates were visiting (Charles Moss from California, James Puckett from Florida, and Mike Dunn from Maine); the four planned to revisit Cooperstown, N.Y., for Hall of Fame Weekend later that week.

"The last thing I remember about that day is toweling off in the locker room," Moscato said. Co-workers have told Moscato he went from the gym to his office and stopped at an ice machine as usual to get a cup of ice. He greeted a few people there, then dropped. "There was no warning, no pain, nothing. I don't remember any of it. . . . Again, from what everybody tells me, a lot of people rushed to my aid and took over from there. And within minutes, there was an AED by my side. I guess my heart had pretty much stopped beating," he said. "They got it going again, did everything they needed to do to get me going, and got me off to an emergency room in a hospital where they evaluated me and found I had a blockage, some plaque in one of the major arteries around my heart.

Responders' Training Pays Off
Rochford, a former critical care nurse, said she reached the spot where Moscato had fallen two to three minutes after receiving the page. Another ERT member was opening Moscato's shirt. They opened Moscato's airway. A team member began chest compressions, Rochford began giving ventilations, and a third member fetched the AED and applied its pads to Moscato's chest.

"I looked down, and I saw 'V fib.' I said, 'It's V fib, it's going to shock,' " Rochford said. "About a second later, it said, 'Shock advised.' As soon as the shock's done, we're back on his chest doing CPR and ventilations because, according to the AHA protocols, don't wait, just go back." Two minutes later, she advised the team to stop so the machine could reanalyze. It said, "no shock advised." Moscato then had a 140 systolic blood pressure and began breathing on his own, Rochford said. An outside ambulance team was en route, already aware the call was a cardiac arrest. By the time the EMTs arrived around 5:20 p.m., they had been alerted that Moscato had a pulse.

This trial by fire was the first use of an AED by the emergency response team. Rochford was the team leader that day; the other ERT members who responded have no health care experience, yet they knew what to do thanks to their training.

Moscato said he knew little about SCA and heart attacks before experiencing his own. "In my view, that was something that happened to everybody else but would never happen to me," he said. "Since it happened, I've read a lot of articles about SCA. And from what I understand, it could happen to anybody at any time at any age. It's more common than I would have thought it was. I'm preaching to people now about exercise, and diet, and all of the things that can help to prevent SCA."

Philips created a moving video about the save that is available here.

ZOLL PocketCPR for iPhone TRAINING APP Now Available

Only CPR Training App to Give Real-Time Feedback on Performance

November 12, 2009
ZOLL Medical Corporation today announced that a PocketCPR® training application (app) for iPhone is now available from the Apple iTunes App Store for $5.99. PocketCPR for iPhone can be used in all CPR training programs or for individual practice at any time. The new app will prepare both professionals and lay rescuers to perform CPR for victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Using Real CPR Help®, the same proprietary technology found in all ZOLL defibrillators and AEDs, PocketCPR for iPhone provides CPR training with real-time feedback on the rate and depth of compressions. The app provides clear visual and audio step-by-step instructions and feedback to guide CPR practice and also reinforces the American Heart Association and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (AHA/ILCOR) recommendations on CPR.

With practice on a manikin or resilient foam cushion, the iPhone’s internal accelerometer measures the movement of the user’s hands as simulated chest compressions are delivered. The visual and audio feedback helps to guide the user to the AHA/ILCOR recommended rate of 100 compressions per minute and depth of 1½ to 2 inches.

“PocketCPR® for iPhone is a training app and is not cleared by the FDA for rescue use. With over 40 million iPhones and iPod Touches in use, providing an easy-to-use application through which the public can learn CPR could significantly help improve outcomes from SCA, the leading cause of unexpected death,” said Mark Totman, President of ZOLL’s Bio-Detek subsidiary that developed the application. “We hope in the future a similar application can be cleared by the FDA for clinical use.”

Over 325,000 Americans die each year from SCA and it is believed that over 70 percent of the time, SCA occurs in the presence of a family member or acquaintance. High quality chest compressions can mean the difference between life and death.

To purchase the app or view more about it, any user of an iPhone or iPod Touch needs to enter the App Store from their device, or via iTunes on their computer, using PocketCPR as the search term. Any iTunes user, regardless of whether they own an iPhone or iPod, can purchase the app just like they would purchase a song or video though the iTunes store. For more information and a demo, visit PocketCPR here.

Philips Issues Worldwide Recall of Select Heartstart Fr2+ AED

Oct 08, 2009

Philips recently announced that it is voluntarily recalling approximately 5,400 HeartStart FR2+ automated external defibrillators (AEDs). This recall is being conducted due to the possibility of a memory chip failure that may render the device inoperable. Only certain HeartStart FR2+ AEDs (models M3860A and M3861A, distributed by Philips; and models M3840A and M3841A, distributed by Laerdal Medical) manufactured between May, 2007 and January, 2008 are included in the voluntary recall.

The HeartStart FR2+ defibrillators are used by trained responders and designated response teams to help treat sudden cardiac arrest. The device automatically analyzes the heart rhythm and determines whether a defibrillation shock is needed. If a shockable rhythm is detected, the FR2+ instructs the responder to deliver defibrillation therapy.

Philips has received reports of a memory chip failure in a small number of FR2+ units manufactured in 2007 and early 2008. These reported failures were detected during routine self tests, not during emergency use of the AED. Failure of this chip could render the AED inoperable and prevent it from delivering therapy when indicated, although Philips has received no reports of injury associated with this chip failure.

The AEDs affected by this recall have been distributed globally to fire departments, emergency medical services, hospitals, and other organizations. Philips is contacting customers to arrange for the return and replacement of all the recalled AEDs by sending notification letters to distributors and users. In addition, the company has set up a page on the Philips Web site with a serial number look-up tool to allow customers to find out if their FR2+ is part of this recall, as well as instructions on what to do if it is. The Web page is www.philips.com/FR2PlusAction.

Physio-Control Recalls LIFEPAK CR Plus AEDs

Sep 18, 2009

The Food and Drug Administration is notifying health care professionals of a Class I recall of certain LIFEPAK CR Plus Automated External Defibrillators (AED) manufactured and distributed from July 9, 2008 through August 19, 2008.

An extremely humid environment may cause the affected devices to improperly analyze the heart rhythm and may cause the device to delay or fail to deliver therapy.

For more complete information, view the recall notice here.

Any adverse events or quality problems that may be related to the use of this product should be reported to the FDA's online MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program, by phone at 1-800-332-1088, or by returning the postage-paid FDA Form 3500 by mail or fax at 1-800-FDA-0178.

Cardiac Arrest Study Finds Uninterrupted Chest Compressions Key to Survival

Sep 30, 2009

Maximizing the proportion of time spent performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) substantially improves survival in patients who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, according to a multicenter clinical study that included UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The findings, available in Sept. 29 issue of Circulation, come from the largest clinical investigation to evaluate the association between chest compressions by emergency medical service (EMS) providers before the first attempted defibrillation and survival to hospital discharge. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a leading cause of premature death worldwide, and survival is often less than five percent.

One of the most important aspects of quality CPR is the proportion of time spent performing chest compressions, but EMS providers typically perform chest compressions only 50 percent of the total time spent on resuscitative efforts.

"It's a common problem, because rescuers are involved in so many other tasks--checking for a pulse, starting intravenous therapy and giving ventilation, among other things," said Dr. Ahamed Idris, professor of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern and a pioneer in resuscitation research and CPR. Idris also is the principal investigator for the Dallas portion of the new study, conducted at seven clinical centers across North America.

"Compressions are being interrupted half of the time or more, and that has a detrimental effect on the survival of patients," Idris said. "This study reinforces that interrupting chest compressions has a bad effect on survival. It also provides a rationale for relatively simple changes to CPR training and practice, that if implemented are likely to improve survival."

Dallas-area paramedics and firefighters are being trained to begin CPR immediately and to administer uninterrupted chest compressions for two minutes before re-checking the heart rhythm or using a defibrillator to shock the heart. UT Southwestern's emergency medicine program provides medical oversight for EMS providers in more than a dozen Dallas-area cities.

In this study, researchers studied data from patients in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) who had suffered from cardiac arrest with a heart rhythm indicating ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachychardia. The researchers focused on the effect of the number of chest compressions paramedics administered per minute before they shocked the heart.

"People who received chest compressions 60 to 80 percent of the time during CPR did better than those who received fewer chest compressions," Idris said.

Previous animal studies have demonstrated that interruptions in chest compressions decrease coronary and cerebral blood flow. Based on further clinical and laboratory observations, the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in 2005 recommended increasing the proportion of time spent delivering chest compressions.

The data for this study was collected from the ROC, which is comprised of 11 regional clinical centers funded by the National Institutes of Health and several United States and Canadian agencies to test lifesaving interventions for critical trauma and sudden cardiac arrest.

In addition to UT Southwestern in Dallas, the other United States resuscitation centers are in Birmingham, Ala.; Iowa City, Iowa; Milwaukee; Portland, Ore.; Seattle and King County, Wash.; Pittsburgh; and San Diego. Toronto and Ottawa also have resuscitation centers.

Shopping Basket