By William Tauro

This past Thursday, firefighters from the Somerville Fire Department got demonstrations from Cataldo Ambulance of the new, “Zoll AutoPulse Non-Invasive Cardiac Support Pump”, the newest in life saving technology.

The new device offers consistent compressions with no interruptions.

For victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), only one thing is certain chest compressions will be required. Yet, manual compressions even when they are done well only provide 10%–20% of normal blood flow to the heart and 30%–40% to the brain.

With the Non-Invasive Cardiac Support Pump now, there’s an alternative. The only device of its kind, the Zoll AutoPulse is a revolutionary non-invasive cardiac support pump that moves more blood, more consistently than is possible with manual compressions.

Its load-distributing LifeBand squeezes the entire chest. As a result, victims receive more consistent, high-quality compressions than those delivered by simple automated CPR devices, which means improved blood flow.

AutoPulse also minimizes no-flow time. It allows rescuers to provide compressions while performing other lifesaving activities, or while transporting a victim down the stairs or in the back of a moving ambulance.

The AutoPulse cardiac support pump delivers improved blood flow without interruptions from fatigue and provides hospital caregivers better access to the patient, resulting in the possibility of improved survival for cardiac arrest victims. In fact, the AutoPulse cardiac support pump has been shown to triple survival to the hospital.