ZOLL Wins Contract for Brazilian Public EMS System

ZOLL Medical Corporation (ZOLL; Chelmsford, MA, USA), a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, has been awarded a contract from the Ministry of Health in Brazil to supply automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for a country-wide early defibrillation program.

The contract, which is the largest purchase ever of AEDs by the Brazil Ministry of Health, calls for ZOLL to supply over 5,000 units of the AED Plus as part of the standardization the of the Brazilian emergency mobile treatment service (SAMU), a public EMS service which includes ambulances, motorcycles, helicopters, and rescue boats. In addition to the initiative in early defibrillation, 40 units of the ZOLL AutoPulse noninvasive cardiac support pump were selected and implemented by SAMU Brasilia, one of the largest public EMS services in the country, in early 2010. SAMU Brasilia installed AutoPulse units in its fleet of ambulances, one for each vehicle, plus four spare training boards.

"This is a major investment undertaken for a public EMS system on a worldwide scale. The AED Plus will be a key element to strengthen each link of the chain of survival and provide the best support when rescuing a victim of sudden cardiac arrest,” said Clesio Mello de Castro, M.D., coordinator for the SAMU.

"The expansive placement of the AED Plus across Brazil is an important initiative in improving survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest,” said Jonathan Rennert, President of ZOLL. "Delivering early defibrillation in combination with high-quality CPR is critical to improving resuscitation outcomes.”

The AED Plus requires minimal training to operate and is ideal for the infrequent rescuer, offering real-time audible and visual feedback to rescuers to help achieve the proper rate and depth of manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) chest compressions. The AutoPulse, on the other hand, is an automated chest compression device, which uses a load-distributing band to squeeze the entire chest. As a result, victims receive more consistent, high-quality compressions than those delivered by simple automated CPR devices, leading to improved blood flow.

Related Links:
ZOLL Medical Corporation
Brazilian emergency mobile treatment service (SAMU)