LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PulsePoint AED, a new mobile application designed to build a comprehensive registry of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) available for use during cardiac emergencies, was released today by the PulsePoint Foundation at the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update (ECCU) 2014 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The PulsePoint Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing mobile technologies to help everyday citizens save lives.
Physio-Control, the leading provider of emergency medical response technologies worldwide, is the marketing and implementation partner of the Foundation.
When a cardiac emergency strikes, finding an automated external defibrillator (AED) can help save a life. But that takes knowing where AEDs are located. “The PulsePoint AED registry is one of the largest and fastest growing defibrillator databases in the world,” said Richard Price, president of the PulsePoint Foundation. “The new PulsePoint AED app strengthens the chain of survival for cardiac arrest victims by empowering CPR/AED-aware citizens to report up-to-date AED location information to local authorities and to make that information immediately available to dispatchers and trained bystanders nearby.”
Once the location of AEDs enters the database via the PulsePoint AED app, all validated AEDs become visible in the PulsePoint Respond app, which means that AED information is provided to the local emergency communications center for instant display on dispatcher consoles during calls for assistance. This allows the dispatchers to direct callers to public AEDs near them during an emergency.
“PulsePoint AED is a great way for agencies to build comprehensive AED registries while involving local citizens. Users of PulsePoint and subscribing local emergency responders all get updated information about the AEDs in their communities,” said Cameron Pollock, Vice President of Marketing, Physio-Control, Inc. “With PulsePoint AED and PulsePoint Respond, citizens, responders and medical care providers can effectively work together in their communities to help save lives.”
“Keeping AED location information current is a significant challenge,” said Jeff Helm, Division Chief, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue in South Dakota. “PulsePoint AED will increase community awareness of AED locations and will simplify the task of discovering devices missing from our registry.” In 2012 Sioux Falls Fire Rescue received the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Ash Institute’s Bright Ideas Award for their public access defibrillator (PAD) program.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the PulsePoint Foundation on another life-saving resource for our community,” said Tomi Ryba, president and chief executive officer of El Camino Hospital in California. “This week is National CPR and AED Awareness Week and the launch of the PulsePoint AED app is a great opportunity for our community to actively participate in identifying local AEDs and educating themselves about the life-saving potential of CPR and AEDs.”
PulsePoint AED is the second app created by the PulsePoint Foundation. PulsePoint Respond was launched in 2011 and empowers everyday citizens to provide lifesaving assistance to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Last month in Portland, Oregon, off-duty firefighter Scott Brawner was working out at a local health club when he received an alert through PulsePoint Respond. Brawner responded and performed CPR until advanced care arrived. Alerts provided by the PulsePoint Respond app helped save the cardiac arrest victim’s life. The PulsePoint Respond app has been downloaded more than 200,000 times to date.
PulsePoint AED and PulsePoint Respond are available to the public free of charge for Apple iOS and Google Android devices from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Engineering for both applications is provided by volunteers at Workday, Inc. Public safety agencies interested in implementing PulsePoint may contact their local Physio-Control representative or call 800-442-1142.
About sudden cardiac arrest
SCA is a leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 325,000 deaths each year/1,000 deaths per day. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. However, only about one quarter of SCA victims receive bystander CPR and even fewer receive a potentially lifesaving therapeutic shock from a public access AED. Improving bystander CPR rates and access to AEDs is critical to survival.
About Physio-Control
Physio-Control, Inc. is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company operates in over 100 countries and is the world’s leading provider of professional emergency medical response solutions that predict or intervene in life threatening emergencies. To learn more
visit www.physio-control.com, or connect at www.facebook.com/physiocontrolinc, https://www.linkedin.com/company/physio-control-inc- or @PhysioControl
About the PulsePoint Foundation
PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its mission is to make it much easier for citizens who are trained in CPR to use their life saving skills to do just that…save lives! Through the use of modern, location-aware mobile devices PulsePoint is building applications that work with local public safety agencies to improve communications with citizens and empower them to help reduce the millions of annual deaths from sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more at www.pulsepoint.org or join the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/PulsePoint and @PulsePoint.
