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AED Plus®

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Why Cheap Isn’t Always Best

by Adrian Waller

PAD & Distributor Sales Manager

Welcome to the AED NewsletterOctober 2014 - Edition 12

So far, 2014 has proven to be another

bumper year as far as ZOLL AED Plus®

sales are concerned.

I really believe that people are, at long

last, getting the message that AEDs in the

work place, health care premises and

the wider community are a worthwhile

investment.

Unfortunately, however, we are still

repeatedly hearing the message “is it

cheap?” or “I just want a cheap AED”.

Cheap is not necessarily the right option

when considering the purchase of an AED.

Remember this is a piece of lifesaving

medical equipment and considerations

need to be given to the following:

• Does the AED have FDA approval?

(Federal Drugs Administration in

the USA).

• Does the device have a high

sensitivity and specificity?—In

other words, how accurate is

the algorithm used to determine

whether a shock is advised

or not. An AED with sensitivity

and specifici ty of 94% wil l

misdiagnose whether a shock is

required in 1 out of 17 cases.

• Is the AED supported by peer

reviewed clinical trials?

• Is the AED suppor ted by

professional products utilising

the same technology?

• Does the AED support the delivery of

high-quality CPR by giving the rescuer

real-time feedback on the depth and

rate of chest compressions? This is

essential to every cardiac arrest.

• Is the company selling the AED in the

UK well capitalised? — essential in

the event of product failure or recall.

• Is the AED supported by a UK based

technical service department?

If the answer is no to any of these

questions, then consideration should

be given to an AED where the answer

is yes. Remember the ZOLL AED Plus

is manufactured by the only global

company purely focused on resuscitation

and that invests millions of dollars into

research and development for

advancing resuscitation

technologies.

Thank you for your ongoing

support.

Why an AED Makes Good Business Sense

A recent study by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found that only 49% of businesses had an AED in the workplace.1

So what can we do to help persuade them that purchasing an AED should be a top priority?

Five key reasons why all companies should

have an AED

Cardiac arrests occur without prior warning and can be

fatal if CPR and an AED are not administered within the

first 10 minutes.

AEDs are easy to use because they tell you exactly

what to do. Although training is preferred, it is not

essential.

Chances of survival decrease by 10% every minute

without CPR and the use of an AED. Having an AED

nearby is critical to ensure the best possible chance of

survival.

You can’t make things worse by using an AED because it

will only shock if it is required and the victim will almost

certainly die if no action is taken.

Always be prepared. Just as all companies are required

to have fire extinguishers in case of fire, having an AED

available ensures you are prepared in the event of a

cardiac arrest.23

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Five company risk factors to consider

How many people work at the company?

How remote is the workplace? Would the emergency services be able to get to the victim within 8 minutes?

What is the age, health and stress level of employees?

What hazards are present e.g. electrical or confined spaces?

Do you have dedicated first aiders onsite who are trained to deal with a sudden cardiac arrest situation?4

1.

2.

3.4.

5.

1Source: iosh.co.uk2Source: bizjournals.com3Source: inpulsecpr.com4Source: www.grainger.com

KEY FINDINGSLower levels of testosterone, the predominent male sex hormone, were found in men who had suffered SCAHigher levels of estradiol, the major female sex hormone, were strongly associated with greater chances of having SCA in both men and women

“This is the first time it has been reported that there is an association between sex hormone

levels and SCA.”1

A new study published in the journal, Heart Rhythm, found a link between sex hormone levels in the blood and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

“While these findings need to be confirmed by other studies, they suggest that

higher testosterone levels in men may offer protection

from SCA and lower levels of estrogen may protect both

men and women.”1

1Sumeet Chugh, director of the Heart Rhythm Center in the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute

Research undertaken by an 18-year-old student could help save the lives of black athletes suffering from undiagnosed heart conditions.

Henry Roth, 18, has been researching alternative ways of testing athletes for undiagnosed heart conditions at St. George’s Hospital. Henry’s interest

in the subject was sparked by the death of his uncle from hypertrophic cariomyopathy at the age of 21. Henry worked with medical director, Prof.

Sanjay Sharma, to find better ways of testing athletes for undiagnosed heart conditions because, although screening is conducted it does not always

identify conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The research examined the amount of oxygen used during physical exercise. People with the condition are unable to reach the same level as those without. However, the study found there were differences between black

and white athletes, which were not taken into account during the screening process, meaning black athletes were less likely to be diagnosed.

This has been a great insight into the world of medicine that Henry would like to pursue a career in and he plans to continue his research at St George’s

Hospital after his gap year.

Industry Update

Link Between Sex Hormones and SCA

New Way of Diagnosing Heart Conditions

KEY FINDINGSDifferent tests are needed for black and white athletes to identify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

“I have been quite astonished by the

research he undertook with me and my

colleagues.”2

Source: bbc.co.uk

2Prof. Sanjay Sharma, medical director of the London Marathon and Charity Cardiac Risk in the Young

The study assessed the hormone levels in the blood of 149 patients suffering from SCA and compared them against the levels of 149 patients who had not suffered from SCA but had coronary artery disease.

Researchers found that men who had suffered SCA had lower levels of testosterone compared to men who had not suffered SCA.

Men in the SCA group had higher levels of estradiol compared with levels of those in the non SCA group. Women who suffered from SCA also had higher levels of estradiol compared with the control group.

Focus on...

Animal CPR — It’s Not Just Humans that Need CPR!

There have been a number of articles in the media lately about people saving an animal’s life using CPR, so we thought we’d give you some quick tips on how to save the life of your pet in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Oregon Woman Gives CPR to Pet Lizard to

Bring It Back to Life

A woman from Oregon, USA saved the life of her pet lizard after

she found it unconscious in a pool. She sprung into action and gave

the bearded dragon mouth-to-mouth and CPR for around 30 minutes

until it opened its eyes and started moving again.

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/1405203/oregon-woman-

gives-cpr-to-pet-lizard-to-bring-it-back-to-life/ Lucky Koala, Sir Chompsalot,

Gets Kiss of Life

Another recent story involved a

koala being brought back to life by

a firefighter in Australia. The koala,

nicknamed Sir Chompsalot, was resting

up a tree after being hit by a car when

the firecrew arrived. Whilst trying to

rescue him, Sir Chompsalot fell out

of the tree and became unconscious.

The firecrew started mouth-to-mouth

resuscitation and chest compressions.

Thankfully Sir Chompsalot is now

recovering in a local animal hospital in

Melbourne.

Source: http://www.inquisitr.

com/1405203/oregon-woman-gives-

cpr-to-pet-lizard-to-bring-it-back-to-

life/

If you haven’t already learnt CPR and basic life support skills, or need help convincing others to learn these life saving skills remember that it’s not just a human life you could be saving, it could be a beloved pet!Source: American Red Cross

Medilink Assists the Irish Red Cross at Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle in Ireland

The Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle is one of the largest one-day charity events in Ireland and attracts cyclists from all over to raise money for various charities through the fundraising of volunteer cyclists.

The 112-mile leisure route, which last year raised over €1m for local Kerry charities, took place on 5 July. At the request of the Irish Red Cross, Medilink assisted by providing 10 ZOLL AED Plus defibrillators. Six were located in fixed medical stations, two in crew cars and two on motorbike saddle bags. Thankfully they were not put to use.

The nine principle charities which will benefit from taking part in the 2014 Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle are Acquired Brain Injury – Kerry Services, ArdCúram Day Care Centre – North Kerry, Irish Red Cross – Tralee Branch, Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone, Kerry Hospice Foundation/Palliative Care,

Kerry Parents & Friends Association, NSAC/Kerry Stars Special Olympics Club, Pieta House and Valentia Island Cottage Hospital.

All money raised will go to projects and services based in Kerry and will support the important work the charities do across the county.

Source: Carl Ryan, Medilink 2014

Life-saving Equipment Installed at Black Country Bus Stations

Bus stations across the Black Country have been kitted out with defibrillators including the ZOLL AED Plus.

The AEDs were purchased by Midlands Centro via the British Heart Foundation and have been installed at Stourbridge, Merry Hill, Dudley and Halesowen as well as six other stations in the West Midlands.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) have provided the training for the bus staff in BLS and the use of the AEDs. WMAS also donated another defibrillator to help support them with the project.

Andy Jeynes, WMAS community response manager, said: “With the number of people that pass through bus stations each day, it makes perfect sense to have defibrillators on hand in case someone suffers a cardiac arrest. The quicker we can start CPR the better the chances of survival.”

Dave Hadley, Centro health and safety manager, added: “We hope, of course , that they will never need to be used, but it should be reassuring to both our own employees and the travelling public to know that if there is a need we have the equipment and the skills available to help.”

Source: http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/local/11379853.Life_saving_equipment_installed_at_Black_Country_bus_stations/?ref=var_0

In the News

AED Plus at the Eiffel Tower in Paris!Gary Nicholas, UK Territory Manager for ZOLL UK, is pictured next to the AED Plus he spotted at the Eiffel Tower in Paris this summer. It is reassuring to know that there is an AED Plus on standby at the Eiffel Tower in case the stairs to the top become a bit too much!

Let us know if you spot an AED Plus whilst out and about and snap a picture of you and the AED.

Please send any pictures to across@zoll.com and you could be featured in the next issue!