Not so long ago hospitals looked sceptically on wireless networks existing inside their facilities. In no time things have gone 180, as more and more clinics use networks to improve and speed up the care that they offer. Now the FDA has given clearance to a Wi-Fi equipped external defibrillator from ZOLL out of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which can notify staff if something is going wrong.
Based on standard 802.11b WiFi technology, R Series defibrillators equipped with WiFi automatically send an alert when their state of readiness is compromised. Early notification maximizes patient safety by letting the clinician intervene before the defibrillator is needed for a code.
While defibrillators rarely fail, their readiness can be compromised if someone forgets to plug it in, a cable is missing, or the electrodes are old and dried out. With WiFi, when the state of readiness is compromised, a notification identifies the contributing factors and code readiness can be restored with unmatched efficiency by troubleshooting from any PC on the hospital network.
For downloading patient data, the Defibrillator Summary is an important part of the code, and the R Series WiFi capability simplifies merging the Summary Report with event documentation. At the end of the code, the summary report can be transmitted over a standard wireless network to a server hosting the CodeNet® system, where it is merged and time-synchronized with the Event Report documented on CodeNet Writer.
The R Series is a Code-Ready device that is simple, smart, and ready to use. It offers a OneStep™ system to simplify and speed up deployment of pacing and defibrillation therapy. It also offers smart tools to help clinicians improve CPR performance, which is important since more than half of in-hospital codes involve non-shockable rhythms and, in such cases, the only treatment is high-quality CPR with minimal interruptions.
The R Series can also verify the condition and expiration date of the electrode set. All of this testing occurs without disconnecting electrodes or paddles, or requiring additional equipment to test shock delivery. The system provides a printed or electronic log to alert hospital personnel of any concerns in advance of a code. A simple green checkmark indicates that the R Series is fully ready for use.
CodeNet is the first software system that allows hospital teams to better document, manage, and review cardiac arrest event and resuscitation information. It brings new improvements and efficiencies in data capture, event time synchronization, and case and aggregate reporting. It is the only system that time stamps logged events and synchronizes these times with defibrillator data, providing clinicians with a complete and accurate timeline of an entire cardiac arrest event.
Press release: ZOLL Receives Clearance to Market R Series Code-Ready Defibrillator with WiFi Option …
Product page: R Series Defibrillators …
Flashback: ZOLL R Series Defibrillator for Hospitals…