CHEST DEVICE IMPROVES SHORT-TERM SURVIVAL

Florida-based emergency medical services provider EVAC Ambulance has completed a clinical study of its automated chest-compression device, ZOLL AutoPulse, to determine its effect on short-term survival.

The study found that, when using the AutoPulse as an adjunct to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts, there was a 52 percent improvement in short-term survival (patient survival to the hospital emergency room), when compared to manual CPR efforts. These findings were announced at an American Heart Association meeting, which is taking place this week in Dallas.

"This study found that overall, patients receiving AutoPulse CPR had a significantly greater chance of short-term survival than those who received manual CPR," said Mike Mellon, executive director of EVAC Ambulance. "EVAC's study results build upon earlier findings that have described an increase in blood pressure and survival to a hospital emergency department."