Andover, Mass., USA - Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI), a worldwide leader in defibrillation technology, has announced that its entire line of HeartStart Defibrillators now shipping is compliant with American Heart Association (AHA), European Resuscitation Council (ERC), and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) 2005 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).

Philips HeartStart Defibrillators were developed with the insight that the science behind resuscitation is constantly evolving. All HeartStart Defibrillators now shipping, including the Home, OnSite (HS1), FRx, FR2+, XL and MRx, support the new protocol of single-shock defibrillation, followed by immediate CPR, which is recommended in the updated Guidelines. Clinical studies show that the technology in HeartStart Defibrillators has a greater than 95 percent first-shock efficacy in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims.1 In addition, the FRx and OnSite support the Guidelines� new protocol to perform cycles of 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.

�It is extremely important to have current technology to help a responder make the most informed decision when treating a sudden cardiac arrest patient,� said Mike Miller, senior vice president, Cardiac Care, for Philips Medical Systems. �As a leader in CPR and defibrillation technology, Philips made adoption of the new Guidelines a top priority to ensure we are providing our customers with tools that reflect the latest science in resuscitation.�

Since the Guidelines were previously updated in 2000, numerous research studies have shown that effective CPR is an even more critically important element in helping save the lives of cardiac arrest victims. These studies are in large part the basis for the development of the new Guidelines. Responding to this science, Philips recently introduced a range of resuscitation technology solutions designed to ensure that quality CPR and early defibrillation are delivered quickly and effectively. Philips� commitment to continually help improve survival from SCA is evidenced through the introduction of innovative technologies such as:

� Q-CPR TM: the first and only technology integrated into a monitor/defibrillator to provide real-time CPR monitoring and feedback for advanced life support (ALS)-trained responders. The new Guidelines recommend CPR-prompting devices for both in- and out-of-hospital settings. Q-CPR, developed by Philips and Laerdal Medical, is a feature available only on the Philips HeartStart MRx Monitor/Defibrillator.

More Industry Headlines