Philips Supports National CPR/AED Awareness Week

ANDOVER, Mass., June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the 2014 National CPR and AED Awareness Week, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG AEX: PHIA) is highlighting the importance of access to easy-to-use technology that can help people intervene and save lives during sudden cardiac arrest. National CPR and AED Awareness Week, beginning June 1 and running through June 7, calls attention to CPR training and the importance of the correct use and need for AEDs.

"Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are available in many public settings and designed to assist medical professionals and non-medical people alike," said Mike Mancuso, CEO, Patient Care and Monitoring Solutions for Philips Healthcare. "We continue to make our AEDs extremely intuitive for any user because with access to the right equipment at the right time, anyone can help save a life."

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., claiming nearly 325,000 lives each year – or nearly 900 Americans each day[i]. More than 70 percent of sudden cardiac arrest incidents happen outside the hospital, and for every minute that goes by without defibrillation, a cardiac arrest victim's chances of survival decrease by about 10 percent[ii]. However, with immediate defibrillation, chances of survival are increased by 75 percent[iii]. 

"We have placed Philips AED devices in 100 percent of law enforcement vehicles and key facilities in the community including primary care medical offices, libraries, recreational facilities, golf courses and ski resorts," said Marc A. Burdick, NRP, CCEMTP, Director, Summit County Ambulance Service. "The quality and ease of use of the Philips AEDs, combined with our EMD program, has unquestionably contributed to the improved survival rate from cardiac arrest in our community."

In addition to making it easier for the lay audience to help save lives, Philips is also committed to providing tools for professional responders. The Philips Quality CPR (Q-CPR) measurement and feedback tool is designed to help professional responders improve CPR quality, and supports the latest American Heart Association guidelines for CPR. Used in conjunction with a defibrillator, the tool provides real-time measurement and feedback to help measure compression depth and release, to complement the professional's existing skills and help improve the impact on patients.

As one of the first companies to help create early defibrillation standard of care, Philips has established a long history of innovating AED technologies. Philips is the number one provider of AEDs worldwide, with more than 1.1 million devices, and logging nearly 50 billion service hours. Philips AEDs are used by 75 airlines, 85 percent of Fortune 100 companies in the U.S., and 43 professional sports teams. Philips AEDs were the first to be used on aircrafts, as well as for early defibrillation of children.

For more information about Philip's efforts to increase AED awareness, visit www.savelives.net.   Learn more about Philips AEDs at www.philips.com/aed and follow the National CPR and AED awareness conversation on Twitter with @PhilipsHealth and #cprAwarenessWeek.

For further information, please contact:

Kathy O'Reilly
Philips Healthcare
(o) 978-659-2638 (mobile) 978-221-8919
[email protected] @kathyoreilly

About Royal Philips:

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 112,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

[i]  American Heart Association. Know the Facts, Get the Stats 2007. Page 1.
[ii] American Heart Association. Know the Facts, Get the Stats 2007. Page 1.
[iii] Weisfeldt ML, Sitlani CM, Ornato JP, Rea T, Aufderheide TP, Davis D et al. Survival after application of automatic external defibrillators before arrival of emergency medical system: Evaluation in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium population of 21 million. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2010;55(15):1713-20.

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SOURCE Royal Philips