title: Out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation with the AutoPulse system: a prospective observational study with a new load-distributing band chest compression device.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness, the safety, and the practicability of the new automated load-distributing band resuscitation device AutoPulse in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the midsized urban emergency service of Bonn city.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements of effectiveness were the proportion of patients with a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and end-tidal carbon-dioxide (etCO(2)) values during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The indications of safety was the proportion of injuries caused by the device, and practicability was assessed by the measurement of the time taken to setup the AutoPulse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-six patients were resuscitated with the device from September 2004 to May 2005. In 25 patients (54.3%) ROSC was achieved, 18 patients (39.1%) were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU), and 10 patients (21.8%) were discharged from ICU. End-tidal capnography showed significantly higher etCO(2) values in patients with ROSC than in patients without ROSC. The mean time to setup the AutoPulse was 4.7+/-5.9 min, but activation of the device after arrival at the scene in 2 min or less was possible in 67.4%. No injuries were detected after use of the AutoPulse-CPR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The AutoPulse system is an effective and safe mechanical CPR device useful in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest CPR. Automated CPR devices may play an increasingly important role in CPR in the future because they assure continuous chest compressions of a constant quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, D-50924 Köln, Germany. henning.krep@uk-koeln.de
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krep
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mamier
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breil
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heister
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoeft
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019296:Capnography; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D013990:Tidal Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide