VCU-RAA treatment protocol nearly doubles pre-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation and survival rates

ZOLL Medical Corporation (NasdaqGS: ZOLL) announced today that in a “Best Original Resuscitation Science” presentation at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS) in Orlando Florida, Joseph P. Ornato, M.D., and Mary Ann Peberdy, M. D., reported nearly doubling the resuscitation and survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to a comprehensive treatment protocol established between Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (VCU) and the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA).

The authors reported an improvement in the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) from 25 percent in 2001 to 46 percent in 2008. In addition, the survival to hospital discharge rate, with a national average less than 7 percent, increased from 9.7 percent in 2003 to 17.9 percent at the end of 2008. A second study looking only at hospital admissions, also presented by Drs. Ornato and Peberdy at ReSS, showed the survival rate to hospital discharge improving from 19 percent in 2001-2003 to 49 percent in 2008-2009 after implementation of this new treatment protocol.

Dr. Ornato, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at VCU School of Medicine and Operational Medical Director of RAA, and Dr. Peberdy, Professor of Medicine and Emergency Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at VCU School of Medicine, noted the two goals of the initiative:

• To restart the heart as quickly as possible following onset of cardiac arrest
• To bring resuscitated patients to a single specialized post-resuscitation facility.

Both programs utilize advanced technology found in ZOLL products. These include the ZOLL AutoPulse^®, a revolutionary non-invasive cardiac support pump, the ZOLL Intravascular Temperature Management (IVTM™) system, and the E Series^® Monitor Defibrillators.

• The AutoPulse was used both in the pre-hospital and hospital settings to provide consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions resulting in blood flow during SCA that is simply not possible with human hands.
• ZOLL's IVTM gives health care providers the power and control they need to rapidly, safely, and effectively manage the core body temperature of critically ill or surgical patients. All ZOLL patented catheter designs combine precise temperature management with the critical care functions of a standard central venous catheter.
• The E Series monitor defibrillators include Real CPR Help^® real-time feedback and See-Thru CPR^®, industry-unique filtering technology that allows clinicians to view a patient’s underlying cardiac rhythm by filtering CPR artifact during resuscitation efforts.

“We’re pleased that our technological innovations have been able to contribute to the improved survival rates reported by Drs. Ornato and Peberdy,” said Jonathan A. Rennert, President of ZOLL. “The VCU-RAA initiative clearly demonstrates the impact an alliance between a hospital and EMS agency can have in advancing resuscitation care.”