Abstract: An apparatus and method provides improved guidance instructions to providers of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compressions in a cardiac arrest event. The apparatus detects CPR rate and/or changes in CPR rate, and issues prompts related to checking the depth of compressions based upon the rate/rate change detection. The prompts may be aural or visual.

Abstract: An automated external defibrillator (AED) (10) having a treatment decision processor (28) is described which follows a “shock first” or a “CPR first” rescue protocol after identification of a treatable arrhythmia, depending upon an estimate of the probability of successful resuscitation made from an analysis of a patient parameter measured at the beginning of the rescue. The invention may also follow different CPR protocols depending on the estimate. The invention also may use the trend of the measured patient parameter to adjust the CPR protocol either during a CPR pause or after the initial CPR pause. The AED (10) thus enables an improved rescue protocol.

Abstract: An automated external defibrillator (AED) (10) having a treatment decision processor (28) is described which follows a “shock first” or a “CPR first” rescue protocol after identification of a treatable arrhythmia, depending upon an estimate of the probability of successful resuscitation made from an analysis of a patient parameter measured at the beginning of the rescue. The invention may also follow different CPR protocols depending on the estimate. The invention also may use the trend of the measured patient parameter to adjust the CPR protocol either during a CPR pause or after the initial CPR pause. The AED (10) thus enables an improved rescue protocol.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a device for monitoring an infant for the onset of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), detecting the onset of SIDS and providing immediate treatment. In the broadest sense, the invention includes an apparatus for detecting and treating SIDS. The apparatus comprises a data gatherer for monitoring an infant parameter, a controller for communicating with the data gatherer, an energy source operable to power the data gatherer for monitoring the infant parameter and further operable to provide energy to an energy delivery system which is operable to deliver an electric shock from an energy source to an electrode interface, and an alarm which is activated by the controller for alerting a remote caregiver to the onset of symptoms associated with SIDS. The invention also relates to a method of operating a SIDS monitor. The method comprises the steps of monitoring an infant parameter, determining whether the monitored parameter is an acceptable value.