A few years ago, Las Vegas was a leader in the area of cardiac arrest saves due to Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) being placed in casinos, some hotels, and other places for easy access.
Every Las Vegas Fire and Rescue emergency response unit either has a defibrillator or AED, which has save countless lives. But in some extreme cases the use of a defibrillator does not always work and more definitive treatment is needed at an emergency department at a local hospital.
While the victim is being transported to the hospital, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) must be maintained to keep oxygen in circulation to the brain and other vital organs. But in most cases CPR is not always efficient because the rescuer can become tired or CPR must be stopped while the victim is moved through doors, down stairs or while being loaded into the ambulance.
Las Vegas is now once again a leader in the field of emergency medical service. Paramedics and EMTs of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue will be undergoing training, this week for a new piece of equipment which will be on every LVFR Rescue Ambulance. It is an automatic CPR unit that will maintain CPR uninterrupted. LVFR is the first fire department to issue the units on each of its Rescue Ambulances according to the company that makes the unit.
Known as the "AutoPulse" it is made by Revivant Corporation of Sunnyvale, California. Similar to a device that was used several years ago by paramedics known as a "thumper" the new device is more advanced.
The first units used years ago operated on oxygen, which was controlled by a control knob. Problem was it used vital oxygen in vast amounts and was limited in mobility. The AutoPulse uses a battery, which can run for several hours. It is much more simple to operate and takes a minimum of training.
The AutoPulse delivers effective and efficient CPR while the victim is being transported without a loss of blood pressure as oxygenated blood is being delivered to vital organs.
The media is invited to attend a demonstration of this new device as paramedics and EMTs of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue receive training on the new device this Wednesday at the Las Vegas Fire & Training Center at 3:00 p.m. A representative of Revivant will be on hand to explain any technical questions.
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue is the only emergency medical service in Southern Nevada that is using the device according to the company.
