Industry news: Philips Medical Systems brings life-saving defibrillator to South Africa

For more than a century Philips has pioneered technology that makes life better. Now they are taking their commitment one step further by creating products that not only enhance life but also help preserve it. Optimised for challenging environments (such as airports, shopping centres, banks, gyms, hotels and general public areas), the Philips HeartStart Fr2+ Defibrillator is engineered to enable anyone to quickly and easily apply life-saving defibrillation therapy to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Statistics show that approximately 120 heart attacks are reported a day in South Africa - one every twelve minutes. Moreover, more than 70% of sudden cardiac arrests happen out of the hospital. Even more frightening is the fact that should you go into SCA, your chances of survival are reduced by 10% for every minute wasted and after 10 minutes without defibrillation, successful resuscitation is unlikely.

Defibrillation is the delivery of an electrical current to the heart and is recognised as one of the vital links in the Chain of Survival when a patient has gone into SCA and up until now this life-saving technology has only been available to medical professionals.

That is why one can safely say that perhaps the most significant benefit of the Philips HeartStart Fr2+ Defibrillator (aside from having the ability to save lives) is the fact that anyone can use it. The automated external defibrillator (AED) is a computerised medical device that will check the patients heart rhythm, recognise a rhythm that requires a shock and advise the rescuer what shock is needed

This is achieved through the combination of natural sounding voice instructions that are loud and clear, with text prompts on a large, bright back-lit display, great for noisy or poorly lit settings and more importantly, for somebody who has never used the equipment before. It is also specifically developed to withstand extreme temperatures, wet conditions and harsh use. For this reason, the HeartStart FR2+ AED is not only ideal, but essential for all high traffic areas. In fact, it is even perfect for home use too.

JJ van Dongen, managing director of Philips Medical Systems says, “The Philips HeartStart FR2+ AED is a fine example of our commitment, as a global provider of innovative healthcare solutions, to improve the access of healthcare with products and services at EVERY stage of care.”

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology, delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 121,700 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27 billion in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.