Basingstoke first hospital in UK to intall Zoll AutoPulse in cath lab

26 August 2009

Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in Hampshire, UK is the first hospital in the UK to install the AutoPulse non-invasive cardiac support pump in a cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Carl Brookes, MD, Consultant Cardiologist for Basingstoke and North Hampshire, said, “Providing high-quality CPR in a cath lab is challenging, especially without proper positioning due to the way a cath lab table is built on a pedestal base. Providing chest compressions during interventional catheterization can expose staff to significant radiation,”

“Using the AutoPulse solves the challenge staff face in providing CPR while the cath lab table is off its pedestal base, which can cause damage to the table and subsequently endanger the patient.

“Moreover, with our new process of ensuring primary angioplasty service 24/7 and fitting stents into a patient’s heart within minutes of their arriving at the hospital, we are seeing higher risk patients arriving in the cath lab. The AutoPulse can provide consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions that may be more effective than manual CPR and more importantly, we can continue to screen while actively compressing,” Dr. Brookes added.

“Internationally, there are increasing reports of good outcomes in patients whose interventional procedure was performed during CPR. Plus, people get fatigued doing CPR. The AutoPulse gives us one less thing to worry about.”

“Basingstoke and North Hampshire’s installation of the AutoPulse to provide circulatory support during catheterizations will, we hope, be a key component of improving patient outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest and provide a good model for other NHS Foundation hospitals,” said Jonathan A. Rennert, President of Zoll. “We’re seeing more and more hospitals, both large and small, interested in AutoPulse for their cath labs.”

The AutoPulse Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pump is an automated, portable device with an easy-to-use, load-distributing LifeBand that squeezes the entire chest, improving blood flow to the heart and brain during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The AutoPulse may offer a significant advantage over manual CPR, moving blood more consistently than human providers. AutoPulse delivers high-quality, uninterrupted chest compressions to maintain myocardial and cerebral perfusion. Additionally, it offers the benefit of freeing up rescuers to focus on other life-saving interventions.

Over 4,200 AutoPulse devices are in use in hospital and emergency service organizations worldwide.

About sudden cardiac arrest

SCA, an abrupt disruption of the heart’s function, which causes a lack of blood flow to vital organs, claims more than 1 million lives each year. It is the leading cause of unexpected death in the world and strikes without warning. Currently, only about 5% percent of victims survive — 95% will die from SCA.

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