February 27, 2018 -Three ZOLL Medical/Bio-Detek Co-workers Help Save a Colleague’s Life from Sudden Cardiac Arrest with an AED and Electrodes Made by the company

CONTACT:

Diane Egan
ZOLL Medical Corporation
+1 (978) 421-9637
[email protected]

 

 

THREE ZOLL MEDICAL/BIO-DETEK CO-WORKERS HELP SAVE A COLLEAGUE’S LIFE FROM SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST WITH AN AED AND ELECTRODES MADE BY THE COMPANY

February 27, 2018—CHELMSFORD, MASS.—ZOLL® Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that three co-workers sprang into quick action and used an AED Plus® and CPR-D-padz® made by the company when a colleague collapsed in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) at the company’s Bio-Detek facility in East Providence, Rhode Island.

Deb Mitchell, an engineering documentation coordinator who is certified in the CPR/AED program at Bio-Detek, witnessed draftsman Paul Mendes collapse in the hall doorway. She yelled for someone to call 911 as she and a nearby co-worker turned him over since he landed on his stomach. After a quick assessment, she began CPR. Product Development Engineer David Eddy, also trained in CPR, took over administering chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gee’s hit “Stayin’ Alive” that he says he sang to himself. Meanwhile R&D technologist Edna Rojas, also certified in CPR, ran to retrieve the AED Plus off the nearby wall, applied the electrodes, and administered the defibrillation shocks.

“Sustaining high-quality CPR is not easy,” said Eddy. “I had sweat dripping down, but adrenaline kicked in to help manage the task at hand, and the beat of the song kept me on track to the optimum CPR rhythm of 100 chest compressions per minute.”

The trio followed the audio prompts emitted from the AED’s real-time feedback technology, Real CPR Help®, which advised to “Push Harder” when the compressions were not deep enough and to shock the victim at the right time. Three shocks were administered to then 60-year-old Mendes before he regained a pulse.

Just about that time, within 7 minutes after being called, the emergency crew from the East Providence Fire Department arrived, and Mendes re-arrested as he was being loaded into the ambulance. He was shocked a fourth time by the EMTs before being transported to the hospital.

According to Captain John H. Potvin, Director of Emergency Medical Services of the East Providence Fire Department, “This was a text book response to sudden cardiac arrest. Everything fell perfectly into place.”

Now back at work full time after recovering and being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), Mendes is grateful to his rescuers and the East Providence EMTs who helped save his life. “I live alone. If this had happened at home or in my car, I wouldn’t be here today,” he acknowledges.

“This quick action by Paul’s co-workers demonstrates the importance of having AEDs and people trained in CPR in the workplace, and how ordinary people, with no medical training, can become “unexpected heroes,” said Karen Jasmin, Senior Director, Global Marketing, ZOLL AED/Public Access Solutions

She went on to explain that out-of-hospital survival from SCA is dismal at less than 10% and SCA does not discriminate by age. Timing is critical to survival. If a victim does not receive CPR and early defibrillation from an AED, chances of survival decrease 10% with each passing minute. It is the leading cause of unexpected death in the U.S. affecting more than 350,000 people annually. SCA is an abrupt disruption of the heart’s function, which causes a lack of blood flow to vital organs.

About Bio-Detek

Bio-Detek, a ZOLL company in Rhode Island, designs and manufactures a wide variety of electrodes for defibrillation, monitoring, and multifunction use. Designed to accommodate various clinical needs, Bio-Detek’s electrodes are easy to apply and use. Located in three facilities all on Narragansett Park Drive between Pawtucket and East Providence, Bio-Detek employs a staff of over 400 employees, over 90% of whom are Rhode Island residents. The rescue occurred at the 320 Narragansett location in East Providence, which houses the company’s engineering and R&D lab.

About ZOLL Medical Corporation

ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and monitoring, circulation and CPR feedback, data management, therapeutic temperature management, and ventilation, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, and lay rescuers treat victims needing resuscitation and acute critical care. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.

Copyright © 2018 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. AED Plus, CPR-D-padz, Real CPR Help, and ZOLL are trademarks or registered trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Asahi Kasei is a registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.