Curaçao EMS Uses ZOLL Autopulse To Save Tourist In Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Patient Regains Pulse during First Minutes of Automated Chest Compressions

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZOLL^® Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that Curaçao Emergency Medical Services used the ZOLL AutoPulse^® Resuscitation System to revive a Venezuelan tourist who was experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

“We purchased it because we saw how efficiently the AutoPulse could save people’s lives.”

When Curaçao EMS arrived at the hotel, they found bystanders trying to revive an 88-year-old man, who was nearly dead, with CPR. Curaçao EMS immediately placed the man, a hotel guest, on the AutoPulse for the delivery of high-quality, automated chest compressions, and within minutes, he regained his color and a pulse. No shock was needed for the return to spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Only a few minutes after Curaçao EMS arrived on the scene, the patient was lifted onto the device’s new Quick Case™* carry sheet while the AutoPulse continued the automated compressions; he was placed in the ambulance for transport to the hospital.

“The AutoPulse was so efficient to use,” said Germain Koeiman, EMT, Curaçao EMS. “Within minutes, we saw his color change and we knew the patient had a chance of survival. During transport to the hospital, the AutoPulse continued deep high-quality chest compressions, something that would not have been possible with manual CPR.”

Curaçao EMS has been using the AutoPulse for 18 months. Koeiman explained, “We purchased it because we saw how efficiently the AutoPulse could save people’s lives.”

“The next day the same ambulance crew was called to transport a patient from the ICU to an airplane, and to everyone’s surprise we were elated to discover it was the same patient who survived and he was on his way home to Venezuela,” said Elfried Schoop, paramedic/nurse practitioner, Curaçao EMS. “His family was also present and they were crying and said they cannot thank us enough for saving their loved one’s life.”

About the AutoPulse Resuscitation System
The AutoPulse^® Resuscitation System provides high-quality automated CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Easy to use and battery operated, the AutoPulse squeezes the patient’s entire chest to improve blood flow to the heart and brain.^1,2,3 The only device of its kind, the AutoPulse automatically sizes to the patient, and has shown improved outcomes in numerous clinical trials.^4,5

The AutoPulse is made for Resuscitation on the Move™. When the AutoPulse’s stabilizing board is placed on the carry sheet, rescuers can continue providing high-quality CPR down steep stairwells, around sharp corners, or even in a cramped elevator. Compared with manual CPR, the AutoPulse has been shown to reduce interruptions in compressions during transport by more than 85%.⁶

About ZOLL Medical Corporation
ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and monitoring, circulation and CPR feedback, data management, therapeutic temperature management, and ventilation, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, and lay rescuers treat victims needing resuscitation and acute critical care. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.

About Asahi Kasei
The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the materials, homes, and health care business sectors. Its health care operations include devices and systems for acute critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, transfusion, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals and diagnostic reagents. With more than 30,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/asahi/en/.

* Not available in the U.S.

¹Duchateau FX, et al. Intensive Care Med. 2010;7:1256-60.
²Timerman S et al. Resuscitation. 2004;61:273-280.
³Halperin HR, et al. Circulation.2002;106(19)(Suppl II):538.
⁴Wik L, et al. Resuscitation. 2014;85:741-748.
⁵Westfall M, et al. Critical Care Medicine. 2013;41(7):1782-9.
⁶Lyon RM, et al. Resuscitation. 2015;93:102-106.

Copyright © 2017 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. AutoPulse, Quick Case, Resuscitation on the Move, and ZOLL are trademarks or registered trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Asahi Kasei is a registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.