Air ambulance helicopter and night car to carry new state-of-the-art lifesaving equipment
The ZOLL X Series monitor/defibrillators, which are highly portable, have been designed for use at major trauma incidents such as road traffic accidents, and for medical emergencies such as heart attack or severe difficulty in breathing.
Along with its sister air ambulance covering Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, the charity - which receives no Government or NHS funding - has invested more than £100,000 on the new equipment.
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The new units enable air ambulance doctors and critical care paramedics to:
Defibrillate a patient to restore a normal heart rhythm
Monitor the heart’s electrical output using an electrocardiogram
Support a patient’s heart rate through ‘external pacing’
Measure carbon monoxide in the blood following smoke inhalation
Measure carbon dioxide in the patient’s blood following a medical and trauma emergency
Monitor a patient’s blood pressure
Monitor a patient’s temperature
Monitor oxygen content of the blood
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The ZOLL X Series also has a CPR dashboard which can be used to ensure chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are to the right depth and frequency.
Richard Clayton, director of operations for the local air ambulance, said: “This is an amazing diagnostic and patient monitoring device. It is highly portable and rugged, so can easily be taken off the helicopter or the night car and used directly at the patient’s side.
“It will help our doctors and critical care paramedics gather all the information they need to deliver expert trauma care at the scene of any accident or medical emergency.
“In total we have invested more than £100,000 in these new units – thanks entirely to the generosity of local communities in supporting Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.”