Better CPR

Ivanhoe Broadcast News
Wednesday, January 31, 2007; 4:15 AM

RICHMOND, Va. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops beating. CPR is the standard way to resuscitate patients, but often, rescuers can't physically press hard enough and long enough to save a life. Now, there may be a better way to perform CPR, and it doesn't require any work on your part.

Every single second matters when someone goes into cardiac arrest ... and only about 5 percent of patients will survive before reaching the hospital.

Jim Motes is one of the lucky ones. Two years ago, a massive heart attack nearly killed him. But he believes a new tool saved his life. "Without that, I truly believe that I would not be here," he says.

A portable device called The AutoPulse Resuscitation System actually performs CPR on its own. Paramedics position patients, fasten the band, and start the device.

The band compresses the entire chest and provides enough pressure to supply normal blood flow -- something emergency medicine physician Joseph Ornato, M.D., says rescuers can't physically do.

"There's no way that us humans can spread our hands' energy over the entirety of the chest," Dr. Ornato, of the VCU Medical Center in Richmond, tells Ivanhoe.

The AutoPulse runs on batteries. Another advantage? It doesn't get tired. It also frees paramedics to perform other tasks.

"It makes the job a lot easier. It's more effective," paramedic Mike Connell tells Ivanhoe.

Dr. Ornato says right now the automated CPR device is only being used by a handful of cities around the country even though it's FDA approved. He expects more places to adopt the automated CPR as further studies confirm its effectiveness. The AutoPulse only provides the chest compression portion of CPR. Rescue breathing is still needed.

In a study, 20 percent of patients who had the automated CPR survived before reaching the hospital. Only 11 percent who had standard CPR lived. Jim is proof it works. But he says he wouldn't have made it without the support of his wife Kathy.

"My wife is an angel, I love her," Jim says. "I didn't think it was possible to love somebody more."

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Malorie Janis
VCU Health System
1006 E. Marshal St.
Box 980426
Richmond, VA 23298
(804) 827-0889
mgjanis@vcu.edu