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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Saving lives goes handsfree

SAVING lives is set to become a hands-free activity due to a new gadget that automatically performs CPR on patients.

The portable machine, named AutoPulse by manufacturer Zoll, consists of a band that wraps around the chest of a patient and can be programmed to squeeze as frequently as an emergency worker would pump with their hands.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) requires the steady compression of a patient’s chest while mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is performed.

Those using the machine are able to administer just two breaths for every 30 chest compressions carried out by the device, freeing them up to perform other tasks.

Australian Advanced Life Support Committee chairmanTony Padley said the hands-free nature of the machine was a huge advantage for health workers.

“(It is) potentially the greatest advance in resuscitation since the defibrillator,” Dr Padley said.

“User of the device report an improvement in the blood flow to vital organs.

“By delivering higher levels of coronary blood flow than manual CPR, (the device) offers the best and possibly only chance of survival for cardiac arrest patients.”

Original here

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