ZOLL Strongly Supports Changes In American Heart Association 2015 Guidelines

Technology Recommended To Help Improve CPR Quality

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZOLL^® Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that its fully integrated portfolio of resuscitation devices and data management solutions are uniquely capable of helping customers achieve the new recommendations of the 2015 AHA Guidelines.

“We are very happy that the AHA has taken such a strong position on the need for comprehensive CPR feedback and monitoring of CPR quality”

Key changes to the 2015 Guidelines include:

• Establishing even more specific targets for depth and rate of chest compressions
• Calling for measurement of CPR quality as part of a system of care
• Emphasizing the need for real-time CPR feedback to reliably determine CPR quality
• Established recommendation for the new ResQCPR^® System
• Expanding recommendation for cooling for comatose patients post ROSC

Increasing the quality of CPR has been an ongoing commitment of ZOLL’s since 2002, when it was the first to introduce real-time CPR feedback in its AED Plus^®. Today, all ZOLL defibrillators, including the AED Plus, the R Series^®, the X Series^®, and the Propaq^® MD, feature Real CPR Help^® audio and visual feedback for the correct rate, depth, release, and tracking of idle time.

Additionally, the 2015 Guidelines recommend automated CPR devices, including the AutoPulse^® Resuscitation System, as Class IIb, citing their role in performing high-quality CPR when manual CPR is difficult to achieve, such as during patient transport or in the cath lab. ZOLL’s new ResQCPR System, the first and only CPR device indicated to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest, was also recommended as Class IIb.

ZOLL’s RescueNet^® Case Review and RescueNet Code Review services enable systems to allow for real-time debriefing and ongoing monitoring of the quality of CPR as part of a system of care.

The new Guidelines expand the recommendation for post ROSC cooling to include all comatose patients, regardless of rhythm or location or arrest. ZOLL’s Thermogard XP^® Temperature Management System is uniquely capable of helping hospitals achieve precise temperature control for any recommended target between 32C and 36C.

“We are very happy that the AHA has taken such a strong position on the need for comprehensive CPR feedback and monitoring of CPR quality,” says Jonathan A. Rennert, President of ZOLL. “These new Guidelines raise the bar for EMS and hospital caregivers, and will help improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest.”

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, fluid resuscitation, 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 chemicals and fibers, homes and construction materials, electronics, 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, diagnostic reagents, and nutritional products. 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/.

©2015 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. AED Plus, AutoPulse, R Series, Real CPR Help, RescueNet, ResQCPR. See-Thru CPR, Thermogard XP, X Series, and ZOLL are trademarks or registered trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation in the United States and other countries. Asahi Kasei is a registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation. Propaq is a registered trademark of Welch Allyn. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.