The AED Superstore Weblog

Welch-Allyn AED 10 promotion EXCLUSIVELY from the AED Superstore

Welch-Allyn and the AED Superstore announce an exclusive AED 10 promotion valid for purchases from now until June 30, 2009. Buy a Welch-Allyn AED 10 from the AED Superstore and choose from one of three free Welch-Allyn diagnostic devices!

Order a Welch-Allyn AED 10 online or by phone from the AED Superstore, and receive a certificate valid for a Welch Allyn SureTemp® Plus 690 Electronic Thermometer (model #01690-200), a Welch Allyn DS58 Tycos® Classic Hand Aneroid w/2-piece Adult Cuff and Nylon Case (Model #DS58-11), or a Welch Allyn Harvey™ Elite® Stethoscope, Black (Model #5079-125). The choice is yours!

You say you want to know the fine print? 

Offer good on purchases made April 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009. Coupon must be redeemed by July 31, 2009. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of free product. Promotion valid in U.S.A. only. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Valid only through AED Superstore.

Stayin' Alive

When the AHA changed its CPR Guidelines in 2005 to increase the rate of chest compressions to 100 compressions per minute (CPM), it was found that many responders had difficulty grasping just exactly how fast that is.  "The most common error is to push too fast," according to Alson S. Inaba, a pediatric emergency physician at Kapiolani Medical Center in Honolulu.  When he asks CPR class members to demonstrate 100 CPM on a manikin, the usual rate is 120-150 CPM, which is much too fast to allow the chest to fully recoil (also part of the new recommendations).

One day, while Dr. Inaba was listening to a recording of the Bee-Gees 1970s disco hit "Stayin' Alive", and acting on a hunch, he timed the song's rhythm and found it was exactly 100 beats per minute.  He now uses that song during CPR training, and the students consistently deliver chest compressions in the range of 99, 100, or 101 CPM.  "Most people know the tune, and it sticks with them" says Dr. Inaba.

He now uses the song in all his CPR classes and has shared it with other CPR instructors.  According to Dr. Inaba, "Hollywood couldn't have written a better script:  'Staying Alive' describes the AHA mission and reminds us what we're trying to achieve with chest compressions, and the song was number 1 in 1979 when AEDs first came out."

Just as a side note:  There is another song with the same tempo that could be used in keeping pace with the proper compression rate, but the title may not be quite as appropriate.  That song is Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust."

Lemme, lemme, lemme upgrade ya!

If your Philips Heartstart OnSite or Heartstart FRx AED is currently using the AHA pre-2005 Guidelines, here is one last chance to get your device upgraded to the current AHA 2005 Guidelines.  Philips Healthcare has extended the window for getting your OnSite or FRx upgraded, but you must submit the Upgrade Request form to Philips by December 31, 2008.  After that date you will no longer be able to get your device upgraded.

You can download the form in either .PDF or Excel format.  The cost is $280.00 per AED.  If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call at 800-544-0048.  A member of our knowledgeable and courteous staff will be more than happy to assist you.

AED Superstore Now Offering a Total AED Program Solution Via En-Pro

Deploying and maintaining as AED Program can be a full-time job.  What with designing, implementing, and maintaining your program, wouldn't it be nice to reduce the hassle and headaches?  Well, we at the AED Superstore are proud to announce we have teamed up with En-Pro (Enabling AED Programs) to provide our customers with complete, comprehensive, tailored AED programs, guaranteed.

En-Pro understands the complexities of implementing your AED program, and they are the only provider that can guarantee complete program compliance and efficacy.  En-Pro will ensure that your AED program is compliant so you are fully prepared to help rescuers save lives.

How do they do it?  You will start with an En-Pro Support Specialist who will help you design your personalized Emergency Response Plan.  Together you'll develop the policies and procedures that fit your specific requirements (as well as any applicable requirements).  En-pro will also help assess your site to determine how many AEDs are needed, proper placement, and how many people need to be trained to support them.

Need training?  En-Pro's PlusLearning is an international organization there to help you develop a competent staff of trained rescue volunteers.  An affiliated training agency of the American Heart Association PlusLearning offers a variety of emergency response certifications in Basic Life Support education.  PlusLearning provides your volunteer responders with AHA certified training on how to use an AED, CPR, First-Aid and other life-saving techniques.  The PlusLearning Alliance can provide instructors on-site at your facilities, whether across the U.S. or around the world.

En-Pro is also your one source for Medical Direction.  They will provide medical prescriptions meeting the legal requirements for deploying your AEDs across your enterprise.  Legal requirements can vary by location, with some states requiring a Medical Director in the same state as the facility. En-pro will ensure you are in compliance.  They can also provide a medical review of your deployment and maintenance procedures.  En-Pro's Support Team will provide the guidance necessary to guarantee your program complies with any and all federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, or regulations.

Your En-Pro Support Specialist can also help you decide how many people will need to be trained to support each AED, who they should be and how to recruit them.  En-Pro will even help with the recruitment process.

En-Pro offers PlusTrac, a web-based Control & Management Program in which you are in control.  The interactive management tools provide real-time status to your program managers along with real-time notification to those who need to take action to keep your program compliant.  This also includes tracking of expiration dates on the pads and batteries, training status of your responder volunteers, and any changes to regulations that may require program modifications.

En-Pro programs are available in one or five year increments, with 24/7/365  help-desk support, post-event reporting, and much more.  For more information visit our website, or call us at 800-544-0048.  A member of our courteous and knowledgeable staff will be more than happy to discuss the En-Pro Programs with you.

Remember, SCA strikes with little warning.  Having an effective AED Program in place means an AED is nearby and ready for use, that there is a trained responder ready to use it, and they can access it in time to save a life.  En-Pro is committed to having you get your AED Program up and running as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

$3.5 Million in Reimbursements for Purchases of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) For Texas Schools Still Unclaimed With Deadline Approaching

Of $9 million appropriated by the Texas legislature to reimburse State public and private schools for purchases of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), $3.5 million remains unclaimed. Texas schools are still eligible to make an AED purchase under the reimbursement program until the November 14, 2008 deadline.

AEDs are portable defibrillators used by lay people with CPR training to resuscitate victims of cardiac arrest and have been deployed on thousands of school campuses nationwide. Texas Senate Bill 7 mandates at least one AED per school campus.

Reimbursements are facilitated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Sources at TEA verified the funding availability, but had no information on what would happen to any unused monies.

If your school needs an AED, this is an opportunity not to be overlooked. There is still time to act. Here’s what to do:

1. To determine your school's eligibility, visit this website.
   Also call Dina Hernandez, TEA Division of Formula Funding, at (512) 463-8525 to verify funds for this program are still available.

2. Call us at the AED Superstore at (800) 544-0048.
   Our friendly team will provide all the information you need to make a smart AED choice and expedite your paperwork. We will fax or email your invoice immediately.

3. Complete the AED Reimbursement Form (Microsoft Word document).
   This original form and our supporting documentation must be received at the Division of Formula Funding by 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday, November 17, 2008.

   Faxed and emailed copies will not be accepted.

   Mail or hand-deliver materials to:

   Texas Education Agency
   Division of Formula Funding, Room 6-112
   1701 North Congress Avenue
   Austin, TX 78701-1494

Welch Allyn and Zoll Medical Announce Strategic Alliance

An interesting news story hit the wires recently.  Welch Allyn Inc. and Zoll Medical Corp. announced a comprehensive strategic alliance with regard to research and development, manufacturing, sales and service, and distribution of Welch Allyn's defibrillation and monitoring devices.  The two companies hope to capitalize on their complimentary strengths in the areas of operations and products by working together across multiple areas.

Welch Allyn, a leader in sales of equipment and products for physician office practices, will continue to focus on sales of their AED 10™ to alternate care markets.  Zoll will likely become the manufacturer and exclusive supplier of AED 10 products to Welch Allyn.  The AED 20™ and the PIC™ line of defibrillators will be discontinued.

Zoll has been named by Welch Allyn to be the exclusive distributor of the Propaq®LT monitor in North America.  The Propaq LT is a flexible, highly portable, lightweight monitor that displays multiple lead ECG, non-invasive blood pressure, SPO2 and respiration parameters.  It will be marketed along with the Zoll AED Pro® that features both semi-automatic and manual defibrillation modes, and also incorporates Zoll's Real CPR Help® and See-Thru CPR®, which provides real-time feedback on CPR quality.

This alliance will allow Welch Allyn and Zoll to jointly pursue business opportunities with the military, air medical and emergency medical services customers.  Both companies maintain leading positions in those markets with their current monitoring and defibrillation products.  It is anticipated that Zoll will acquire Welch Allyn's defibrillation research and development operations at a future date, and Zoll will eventually be the provider of customer support and technical service, and will supply aftermarket accessories to Welch Allyn defibrillator customers.

Zoll Announces Airworthiness Certification for AED Pro

Zoll Medical Corporation has announced that they have received notification of Airworthiness Release (AWR) from the US Army's Research, Development, and Engineering Command for the Zoll AED Pro.  This certification states that the AED Pro complies with the US Defense Department's criteria for medical devices and can now be used aboard MEDEVAC helicopters.

The Zoll AED Pro has undergone extensive testing by the US Army's Aeromedical Research Laboratory.  That testing included electromagnetic interference and compatibility, environmental and human factors testing in the laboratory, and also included in-flight assessments by engineers and medical personnel in a variety of flight conditions.

The Zoll AED Pro has been designed to withstand the harshest of environments.  It is the only AED on the market that features an Ingress Protection rating of IP55 and 1.5 meter drop test, able to withstand searing heat, freezing cold, pounding rain and significant drops.  The Zoll AED Pro also features Real CPR Help, which gauges the depth and rate of chest compressions to assist the rescuer in improving the quality of CPR they are providing, and See-Thru CPR to allow the professional rescuer to view a patient's underlying cardiac rhythm by filtering out CPR artifact.  See-Thru CPR eliminates the need to stop chest compressions to see if defibrillation was successful.

This certification by the US Army adds the Zoll AED Pro to Zoll's expanding list of airworthy products, which also includes the M Series CCT, the current Military PMI standard defibrillator, and the Power Infuser, an infusion pump that provides controlled delivery of blood and fluids.  The CCT and Power Infuser have also been approved for all  phases for flight for US Air Force aircraft.

Check out the Zoll AED Pro on our website.  We have units available and ready to ship today!

Physio-Control's LifePak 1000 deployed on the International Space Station

   

     The first AED we know of deployed into space is the Physio-Control LifePak 1000. The news was released today. Prior space missions used fully manual monitor/defibrillators.

     We really like the post about it at MedGadget, too!

Philips applies for patent for "CPR coaching device providing tactile feedback"

    

     Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. has applied for a patent for a CPR coaching device to be used in conjunction with, among other things, their defibrillator products.

     While there have been other combination CPR coaching and feedback devices available for some time, namely integrated into the AED line from ZOLL Medical Corporation as well as a stand-alone product, the Philips patent application shows their device to have some advanced capability. Specifically, it coaches the rescuer via voice prompts to "press "harder" or "softer" or "faster" or "slower," during the chest compression phase of CPR.

     ZOLL's "Real CPR Help(R)" is integrated into their single-piece electrode system while the Philips patent graphic shows what appears to be a separate device or module.

     It's clear the importance of properly performed and effective CPR isn't lost on AED manufacturers as more integrate CPR coaching and/or feedback into their devices.

When are you most likely to have a heart attack?

 

   If your answer is something like "immediately after stressful activity," try again! The answer surprised us that on average, the risk is highest between 6am and 12 noon and not after a hard day's work. The entire article is available here from TIME Magazine.