Defibrillator News and Research

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

VCU and RAA have improved resuscitation and survival rates for cardiac arrest patients

Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and the Richmond Ambulance Authority have improved resuscitation and survival rates dramatically for cardiac arrest patients by training and equipping paramedics to begin lowering a patient's body temperature in the field during resuscitation and following up at the hospital with a host of high-tech strategies to improve the odds of survival.

17 Nov 2009

Sudden cardiac death more predictable in men than women

A woman who suffers sudden cardiac arrest is significantly less likely than a man to exhibit the decrease in the heart's pumping ability that is widely recognized as a precursor, says a new study in the Nov. 24 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

17 Nov 2009

Genetic test for familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy launched by PGxHealth

PGxHealth, a division of Clinical Data, Inc., today announced the launch of its genetic test for familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy, an inherited heart disease which is the leading cause of heart transplants and a possible cause of sudden cardiac death.

16 Nov 2009

Mayo Clinic Health Letter provides treatment options for people with heart disorders

Fewer than one-third of patients with heart failure are taking the three types of medications that are most effective in prolonging life and improving quality of life. The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter provides an overview of treatments recommended by national guidelines.

16 Nov 2009

Self-care tips for hemorrhoids from Mayo Clinic

By about age 50, more than half of adults have dealt with hemorrhoids. The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers home treatments that can relieve symptoms of this common and embarrassing problem.

16 Nov 2009

Bystanders can save more lives by performing continuous chest compressions, shows analysis

The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest outside a hospital was found to be twice as high when bystanders performed continuous chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth breathing than when bystanders performed standard CPR. These are the latest findings reported by the Resuscitation Research Group at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center and the SHARE Program (Save Hearts in Arizona Research and Education) at the Arizona Department of Health Services.

16 Nov 2009

Regence BlueCross recognized as Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company

Regence BlueCross BlueShield has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association's Start! movement for helping employees eat better and move more.

13 Nov 2009

Cardiac Science and Cambridge Heart team up to develop MTWA module

Cardiac Science Corporation [NASDAQ: CSCX], a global leader in automated external defibrillator (AED) and diagnostic cardiac monitoring devices, and Cambridge Heart, Inc., [OTCBB-CAMH], a developer of noninvasive diagnostic tests for cardiac disease, with a focus on identifying those at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, today announced a partnership pursuant to a Development, Supply and Distribution Agreement Cambridge Heart previously announced on June 23, 2009.

13 Nov 2009

Non-invasive test to determine risk of sudden cardiac arrest in heart bypass surgery patients

Years after heart bypass surgery, Jim Miller was symptom free. Several measures of his heart’s functioning did not show that he was in danger of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). But Miller’s doctor decided to make sure and the quick, non-invasive test he performed may have saved Miller’s life.

10 Nov 2009

NHLBI stops enrollment in study comparing resuscitation strategies

Enrollment has ended early in a large, multicenter clinical trial comparing two distinct resuscitation strategies delivered by emergency medical service (EMS) providers to increase blood flow during cardiac arrest. The study's independent monitoring board and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the lead sponsor of the study, stopped enrollment based on preliminary data suggesting that neither strategy significantly improved survival.

7 Nov 2009

Lack of evidence a problem for policymakers, doctors and patients

One category of medical mysteries that stumps expert doctors and policymakers alike falls under the heading: What works? News reports on two new studies - and one that was never completed - offer insight into that issue.

6 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 5, 2009

Today's headlines center on the House health overhaul vote scheduled for Saturday -- what some are calling a potentially 'historic moment' for Democrats.

5 Nov 2009

Innovative optical system to study the complex mechanisms that lead to sudden cardiac arrest developed

A research team at Vanderbilt University has developed an innovative optical system to simultaneously image electrical activity and metabolic properties in the same region of a heart, to study the complex mechanisms that lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

31 Oct 2009

Spectranetics announces financial results for third quarter 2009

Spectranetics Corporation today reported financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

28 Oct 2009

Patient receives left-ventricular assist device to improve heart function

UT Southwestern Medical Center patient Michael LeBlanc, 40, is the first in North Texas to receive the newest generation of a mechanical device designed to improve heart function. It will be his lifeline while he awaits a heart transplant.

27 Oct 2009

Video capsule endoscopy is safe for patients with heart devices

A new Mayo Clinic study suggests that video capsule endoscopy (CE), a procedure that uses wireless technology in diagnosing intestinal disease, is safe for patients with heart devices. Wireless electrical gadgets, such as cell phones, have been shown to interfere with implanted heart devices, including pacemakers and defibrillators. This risk has led medical experts to speculate that capsule endoscopy could similarly cause heart devices to fail.

27 Oct 2009

Genetic mutations cause for SIDS and SUDS

Scientists and clinicians at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cardiogenetics have teamed up and found that genetic mutations leading to Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) could be causing electrical malfunctioning of the heart resulting in the mysterious deaths more commonly known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (SUDS) in people older than 12 months of age.

27 Oct 2009

Aldosterone antagonist therapy can be adopted for treating heart failure

Less than one-third of patients hospitalized for heart failure and participating in a quality improvement registry received a guideline-recommended treatment of heart failure, aldosterone antagonist therapy, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

26 Oct 2009

St. Jude Medical announces fiscal 2009 third-quarter results

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the third quarter ended October 3, 2009.

21 Oct 2009

Statewide Initiative to increase sudden cardiac arrest survival rates launched in Minnesota

Medtronic Foundation and Take Heart Minnesota™ today announced a comprehensive statewide initiative, the first in the nation, designed to increase sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rates. SCA is a condition in which the heart abruptly stops without warning. More than 4,500 cases of SCA were reported in Minnesota in 2008, an average of 12.5 incidences per day.

21 Oct 2009