Powerheart CRM  
   

Introducing a 'New Standard of Care' for patients at risk of developing life threatening arrhythmias in the Hospital

Whilst there have been considerable changes in defibrillator design over the last decade, improvements in deployment and a broadening of those authorised to perform defibrillation within the Hospital setting, these developments have done little to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

   
Survival is largely dependant on the delays experienced from the actual point that a life threatening rhythm first presents, is then detected, responded to and then finally treated.
   
The delays associated with conventional or 'reactive' defibrillation, not only negatively impact mortality rates, but also contribute to increased morbidity and longer in-Hospital stays for those that are eventually successfully resuscitated.
   

The PowerHeart is the worlds first External Defibrillator able to emulate the automatic operation of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), and is fully configurable to both the patients clinical profile and also the ward environment.

Aimed at those patients at high risk of recurrent episodes of life threatening arrhythmias, the PowerHeart continuously monitors the patient and if necessary, can deliver a first synchronised or a-synchronous shock within 20 - 30 seconds from the onset of the rhythm change, without any operator intervention.


The PowerHeart CRM represents a move away
from inconsistent 'reactive' defibrillation,
offering high-risk patients a consistent and
'pro-active' NEW Standard of Care.
The Challenge Of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

The many and varied challenges are characterised by the following selections from recently published clinical papers:

Spearpoint et al, from Hammersmith Hospital1, London, published an important 2 year Cardiac Arrest Study (Resuscitation, May 2000).

Results:

· Reported 116 VF/VT Arrests (26% of all arrests)
· 58% Within Critical Care Units (Monitered Beds)
· 48% Survival to Discharge if Defibrillated within 2 Minutes
· 14% Survival to Discharge if Defibrillated over 2 Minutes

Conclusions:

"This data set indicates that even 1 or 2 minutes count, and that any actions taken by resuscitation providers that leads to a delay in administering appropriate defibrillatory shocks reduces the prospects for both immediate and long term survival from in-Hospital arrest".

"Defibrillation should be considered as the first link in a 'in-Hospital chain of survival' where a defibrillator/monitor is immediately attached to a patient upon diagnosis of cardiac arrest".

"Strategies should be employed to eliminate any delay in providing the first shock sequence to patients who have VF/VT arrest within our Hospitals".


Herlitz et al, from Sahlgrenska Hospital2, Gotenburg, Sweden, reported a 5-year retrospective study (published in Resuscitation, May 2002), focussing on the response times to defibrillation at different times of day or night.

This study showed some significant results:

· Between the hours of 08:00 and 16:40, VF/VT arrest patients on monitered wards received a first shock 1.4 minutes (average) following the arrest call.

· This time to first shock almost doubled to an average of 2.54 minutes between the hours of 21:00 and 08:00 (again on monitered wards).

· Survival to discharge was reported as 49% in the 08:00 to 16:40 group, and only 23.8% in the 21:00 to 08:00 group


The Powerheart CRM Solution

With the above data in mind, it is clear that we must strive to achieve the following key objectives in the management of Sudden Cardiac Arrest:

· Reduce the time taken to deliver the first shock to patients suffering VF/VT cardiac arrests in the Hospital.

· Make this reduction in time to first shock consistent, thereby creating a…. NEW 'Standard of Care' in the Hospital
   
The Powerheart CRM is the only
External Defibrillator capable of
satisfying these two primary objectives.
You Now Have A Real Life Saving Choice:  
   
'Reactive'
Conventional
Defibrillation
or
  
'Pro-Active'
Powerheart CRM
Therapy
   
For full information and/or to request a demonstration, Click Here.

References:
1. Early Defibrillation and the Chain of Survival in "in-hospital" adult cardiac arrest; minutes count
Kenneth G. Spearpoint, C. Paula McLean, David A. Zideman Hammersmith Hospital, London
Published: RESUSCITATION, May 2000
2. Characteristics and outcome among patients suffering from in hospital cardiac arrest in relation to whether the arrest took place during office hours
Johan Herlitz et al, Division of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gotenburg, Sweden
Published: RESUSCITATION, May 2002
 
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