Cardiology  

Cardiac Science defibrillators meet new European and American guidelines

23 April 2006

Washington, USA. Cardiac Science Corporation (NASDAQ:CSCX), has shipped two new models of its Powerheart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that meet new American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care, as well as the recently released European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines for resuscitation.

All new Powerheart models will fully incorporate and comply with the new guidelines. Powerheart AEDs currently in use today are capable of being reconfigured to support the new guidelines and the company plans to offer software updates to existing customers to facilitate implementation of the new guidelines-compliant software in previously deployed Powerhearts during 2006.

Powerheart AEDs include patented Rescue Ready technology, a critical "self-monitoring" feature which conducts a daily self-diagnostic test of the battery and internal circuitry, and also confirms that the defibrillator pads are connected and capable of delivering therapy. Since an AED is called upon to potentially save the life of a heart attack victim, it is imperative that advance notice to the user is provided if the device requires service to assure the AED will function when needed to rescue a sudden cardiac arrest victim.

Powerheart AEDs also incorporate the company's patented RHYTHMx analysis software, as well as its STAR biphasic shock technology, which determines, based on each patient's unique physiology, the amount of defibrillation energy needed to successfully restore a victim's heartbeat.

About AEDs

According to the AHA, the odds of surviving sudden cardiac arrest decrease by approximately 10 percent for every minute that passes, and wide deployment of AEDs could save as many as 50,000 lives in the United States annually. AEDs are designed to quickly and easily provide a life-saving defibrillation shock to restore normal heart rhythm to a cardiac arrest victim and, as appropriate, to instruct the user to perform CPR in order to temporarily circulate oxygenated blood to the brain and body of a victim who is unable to sustain circulation.

AEDs are currently used by first responders such as police, fire and ambulance personnel. They are also increasingly being deployed at places where people gather or work, such as airplanes, airports, train stations, corporate offices, factories, schools, shopping malls, stadiums, restaurants, casinos and federal, state, municipal and commercial buildings.

About the new AHA guidelines

The new AHA guidelines are based on the evidence evaluation from the 2005 International Consensus Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, which was hosted by the AHA last year. The guidelines contain recommendations designed to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest and acute life threatening cardiopulmonary problems.

The recommendations in the new guidelines confirm the safety and efficacy of many approaches, acknowledge that other approaches may not be optimal, and recommend new treatments that have undergone evidence evaluation.

However, the AHA has emphasized that these new and revised treatment recommendations do not imply that care involving the use of earlier guidelines is unsafe.

For more information about the new AHA guidelines, visit the AHA website at www.americanheart.org

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