San Diego County Fire Upgrades Ambulances, Helicopters With High-Tech CPR Devices

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego County Fire Protection District has upgraded 35 automated chest-compression devices to their advanced life support ambulances and helicopters, the agency announced Thursday.

At $23,000 per unit, AutoPulse NXT Resuscitation Systems, are devices that offer an advantage over manual CPR, something agency officials described as a "significant investment" for pre-hospital care.

The AutoPulse provides "circumferential chest squeezing," which enables more effective compressions to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain during a cardiac arrest, according to the fire protection district.

"Every second matters during cardiac arrest," Battalion Chief Jakub Jagielinski of San Diego County Fire's Emergency Medical Services said in a statement. "The AutoPulse NXT gives our firefighters, paramedics and flight crews a powerful tool to provide the highest standard of care in the field and during transport. This investment ensures that patients in San Diego County have the best possible chance of survival."

Officials said one of the benefits of the new NXT design is its compact size, and that it "ensures uninterrupted, high-quality chest compressions during patient transport -- an environment where manual CPR is especially difficult."

According to the fire protection district, learning CPR and seeking additional training can increase the chances of survival for patients who experience cardiac arrest before first responders arrive.

When performed immediately, CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival.

The NXT devices are now in service across the county, and will be used in aiding over 3 million residents and visitors.

— City News Service