A first responder for 30 years, Bob Cesario has seen a lot of life-saving gimmicks over the years.
‘A lot of them did not pan out to be what they were supposed to be,? said Cesario, EMS coordinator for Independence Township Fire Department.
However, Cesario might have found one machine worth its price: the ‘Zoll AutoPulse System,? an automated system for administering CPR. The machine is used mainly for patients experiencing cardiac arrest.
The department is buying three of them for about $41,000.
‘You can’t put a price on life,? said Cesario.
Independence Fire and EMS tested the AutoPulse system last year over a four-month period and the machine had positive results.
‘The first call we used it on, we had resuscitation,? he said.
The second time using the machine was also successful. Alice Keller suffered a heart attack while playing tennis at the Deer Lake Racquet Club. Keller ultimately was given a second chance at life, Cesario said.
‘I’m very happy for her and her family,? he said.
The machine did not save every patients life, but did prove to have a greater success rate.
‘Since we’ve stopped using the device we’ve had at least a dozen if not more cases where that device would have been used and not one of them have had resuscitation,? Cesario said. ‘So the only thing we can point our finger at is we’re not using that device anymore and we haven’t had a successful resuscitation since.?
The hope is they will see the success numbers increase again after they get the machine, he noted.
‘If we do, I’ll be convinced that this is the tool to use,? said Cesario.
The efficiency will be improved and he hopes the trend of effectiveness will continue.
‘I think it’s going to be great,? he said. ‘It will be great obviously for the patient and the guys will be extremely happy with something that’s panning out to be the claim that they say it is.?
“I would never say this machine is going to save you, because there are too many factors involved, said Chief Steve Ronk.
However, he did see an improvement and more consistency.
“You’re riding in the back of an ambulance bouncing off the walls ? CPR stops. You scratch your nose, whatever. We do it and we don’t do it perfectly, this is as close as we can get to perfect,? he said. ‘Once you turn it on it stays on until you turn it off.?