Philips & Quality CPR

Published scientific studies have shed new light on the physiology of sudden cardiac arrest and the role of CPR.² As a result, there is new emphasis on the importance of perfusion/continuous blood circulation and how best to achieve it, as well as a deeper appreciation for the harm caused by hyperventilation. Several studies bear out the benefit of 1-2 minutes of CPR prior to a delivered shock if the patient has been down for 5 or more minutes.² Studies have also shown that caregivers need more support to consistently perform CPR within the AHA guidelines. Comparative research reveals significant variation in both rate and depth of chest compressions, duration of “hands-off” time and the volume and rate of ventilations.^3,4  

Further, the science tells us that quality CPR and early defibrillation are inextricably linked. The combination is essential to increase the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest.

In accordance with this, the American Heart Association (AHA) published the 2005 Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC), and the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) published the Guidelines for Resuscitation 2005. Both recommended sweeping changes in CPR protocols for lay, BLS and ALS responders.

At Philips, all HeartStart devices/defibrillators incorporate the 2005 Guidelines recommendations and we are committed to providing our customers with updated capabilities as suggested by the Guidelines. As such, our HeartStart AEDs offer a compression-only CPR coaching option, which the guidelines have indicated is a viable alterative for some lay rescuers¹.

However, Philips didn’t wait for the guidelines to introduce technologies to help improve CPR. Rather, Philips anticipated the nature of the Guidelines changes—namely the importance of high-quality CPR in conjunction with early defibrillation—and brought to market several technologies that go above and beyond to help our customers meet their own goals of providing the highest quality resuscitation programs and patient care.

Today, Philips offers the widest range and most evidence-based resuscitation technologies designed to ensure quality CPR and early defibrillation are delivered quickly, effectively and in proper sequence.

Philips quality CPR technologies

The Latest: Hands-Only CPR
The American Heart Association published a Science Advisory, “Hands-Only (Compression-Only) Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Call to Action for Bystander Response to Adults Who Experience Out-of-Hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest,” in the April 2008 edition of Circulation, providing responders with new guidelines for Hands-Only CPR.

Philips HeartStart Defibrillators support Hands-only CPR. Our AEDs can be configured to coach users through only compressions, omitting instruction for rescue breaths. And, of course, our entire family of defibrillators is Guidelines 2005 compliant.

Q-CPR™ Feedback and Measurement Tool - The industry’s first and only complete, integrated CPR measurement and feedback solution for ALS Professionals, designed to encourage rescuers to deliver CPR in accordance with guidelines.

• Integrated with the HeartStart MRx Monitor/Defibrillator. Q-CPR Technology by Laerdal is the world's first real-time measurement and feedback tool integrated into an ALS monitor/defibrillator to provide personalized feedback on both ventilation and compressions.
• Recently published data demonstrate that the use of Q-CPR as a tool for training, therapy, and retrospective review of performance can improve patient outcomes.
• More science supports Q-CPR than any other CPR technology. Philips’ research helped shaped the 2005 guidelines.

HeartStart Event Review Pro 4.0 - a bundled data management solution that enables system-wide QA/QI and supports continuous CPR training.

• Recent studies and the 2005 AHA Guidelines highlight the importance of quality CPR. In fact, some studies indicate that poor quality CPR is no better for the patient than doing no CPR at all. You can't improve what you can't measure. The retrospective review capability provided by Q-CPR is the cornerstone of a successful CPR quality improvement program.
• This breakthrough application provides a robust, insightful view of any resuscitation event, along with built-in easy to use navigation to pinpoint areas in a specific patient’s code event for learning and improvement. No other solution on the market comes close. As a complete solution Q-CPR offers an array of new possibilities for resuscitation research.
• "Post-event” review for resuscitation helps a team reach its full potential for saving more lives.

• AHA Guidelines 2005 state: "Processes for continuous quality improvement are essential for the success of out-of-hospital and in-hospital resuscitation programs." The data generated by Q-CPR and presented by the Q-CPR Review application, as part of Event Review Pro, provide the objective evidence required to reinforce effective techniques and motivate changes where needed.

CPR Coaching - The industry’s first CPR coaching feature

• Designed for bystander-initiated CPR and for the minimally- trained rescuer; provides audio cues for each breath as well as the appropriate number, depth, and rate of chest compressions.
• Available since 2003 in the HeartStart FR2, 2 years before the 2005 AHA Guidelines indicated the importance of quality CPR. Also available (since 2005) in the HeartStart FRx, OnSite, and Home AEDs.

• Also available in compression-only option, which the guidelines have indicated is a viable alterative for some lay rescuers.² 

SMART CPR - The industry’s first and only “heart rhythm analysis and advisory tool” for CPR determines whether to shock or perform CPR first. (HeartStart FR2+ AED)

• The first and only advisory tool that allows you to optimize the collective advantages of CPR and early defibrillation performed in the correct sequence, as suggested by the 2005 AHA guidelines, which state that “Healthcare providers must practice efficient coordination between CPR and defibrillation.”
• Using data that predicts the probability of spontaneous return of a pulse, SMART CPR analyzes the patient’s heart rhythm and determines an appropriate therapy—immediate defibrillation followed by CPR, or CPR before defibrillation.
• SMART CPR eliminates a concern of the those who do not buy into the idea of 2 minutes of CPR in cases of long time down: “I don’t know how long he’s been down—what if I delay a lifesaving shock by 2 minutes.”

Quick Shock- Enables a shock to be delivered immediately after chest compressions - up to three times faster than other solutions on the market. (HeartStart AEDs and HeartStart MRx AED mode).

• The AHA 2005 guidelines indicate that rescuers should “minimize interruptions in chest compressions³.”
• Only Philips offers Quick Shock, which helps ensure the benefits of doing CPR are not lost as a result of a long heart rhythm analysis and charge time by the defibrillator.
• HeartStart AEDs and MRx shock after CPR typically in 10 seconds or less—competing devices take as long as 28 seconds to deliver a shock.
• Recent studies show that a reduction in pre-shock pause results in improved shock success.