Industry Pulse

House Passes Bill Aimed at Better Interoperability
     The House of Representatives over the summer overwhelmingly approved a measure aimed at addressing communications interoperability problems among emergency responders.

     By a vote of 414-2, the body passed the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act, which requires local emergency responders who receive federal grants to purchase equipment that meets national voluntary standards for interoperability. It also creates an Office of Emergency Communications in the Department of Homeland Security.

     "In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and hurricanes Katrina and Rita," said House majority leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) of the legislation, "it is critical that our emergency response systems are working properly to protect the American people. Improving the ability of first responders and federal, state and local agencies to communicate with each other during an emergency is a vital part of making sure our families in harm's way are safe and secure."

     The bill, introduced in the House by Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee chair Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA), now moves to the Senate.

EMS, FD Team Up for Largest AED Training Session
     Providers from Southwest Ambulance and the Glendale (AZ) Fire Department set a world record this summer by training 1,039 new employees of Glendale's Cardinals Stadium in use of the venue's AEDs. Southwest and the GFD serve as emergency medical providers at the stadium, new home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. They will provide everything from first aid to stabilization and ambulance transportation of sick and injured guests. The agencies have jointly served the city of Glendale for 20 years. The record AED training session was held during a pep rally and customer-service training event organized by Global Spectrum, which manages the facility.

Group's Goal: Bluetooth Profile
     Nonin Medical announced this summer that it has joined 18 other companies-including such major players as IBM, Intel, Motorola, Philips Electronics and Welch Allyn-in a working group dedicated to the creation of a medical device profile for Bluetooth wireless technology.

     Creating such a protocol would allow health-related devices like weight scales, blood pressure monitors and exercise equipment to communicate wirelessly with other Bluetooth-enabled medical devices, as well as consumer electronic products like cell phones, PCs and PDAs.

     In 2002, Nonin became the first company to commercialize a Bluetooth-enabled pulse oximeter. The working group expects to draft the specification this year and make it available in the first half of 2007.

Pennsylvania to Give $25 Million to Fire, EMS Cos.
     The state of Pennsylvania is giving $25 million to its ambulance companies and fire departments to help them buy and upgrade equipment, train volunteers, build or renovate buildings and reduce their debt.

     The money is going to 2,081 fire departments and 561 ambulance companies across 67 counties. Volunteer ambulance operations can apply for maximum grants of $10,000; volunteer fire companies can seek grants up to $15,000.

     "Our firefighters and ambulance workers are at the core of community safety and deserve our support," Governor Ed Rendell said in announcing the funds. "We need to make sure they have the proper equipment and resources as they respond to emergencies."

HHS Bolsters Anthrax Arsenal
     The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will spend almost $144 million on 10,000 therapeutic courses of treatment of Anthrax Immune Globulin (AIG), a potentially promising addition to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) that could be used against inhalational anthrax.

     HHS will acquire the doses through modification of an existing contract with Cangene Corp., of Winnipeg, Canada. Payment is contingent on the product receiving authorization for marketing from the Food and Drug Administration, but the agreement will allow delivery of the product before licensing if it's needed for emergency use.

     "While additional studies are underway to determine its efficacy and ultimate role in treatment," said Craig Vanderwagen, MD, HHS's Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness, "AIG may have the potential to provide physicians with a source of human antibodies against the anthrax toxin that could improve the management of patients with the life-threatening toxemia associated with severe anthrax."

     Deliveries to the SNS are expected to begin in 2007.

24-Hour Shifts Halved in Texas
     Providers at 11 of Austin-Travis County (TX) EMS's busiest stations had their shifts slashed from 24 to 12 hours in an effort to combat fatigue.

     Personnel at those stations were so busy during their longer shifts that they had little time to sleep, TV station KVUE reported. Officials say the move will improve the workers' health and safety and allow them to better serve Austin residents.

     Since the change occurred in July, applications for employment have reportedly increased.

Site Offers Facts, Data on Avian Flu
     A leading provider of emergency medical, security and travel assistance has launched a new website to provide updates on avian flu.

     MEDEX Assistance announced its new site, www.medexassist.com/pandemic, as a "one-stop dissemination point for the latest avian flu facts and data." The company also offers insights and advice from a global network of health professionals. Medical personnel are among those invited to access updates regarding the spread of the H5N1 virus and precautions for minimizing the risk of infection.

Test May Tell When CPR Futile
     Researchers in Canada have developed a three-part test they say will identify cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in which CPR will be futile. If the test proves accurate and comes into widespread use, it could potentially save EMS systems thousands of dollars spent on unnecessary transports.

     A team led by Laurie Morrison, MD, of the University of Toronto's Prehospital and Transport Medicine Research Program prospectively evaluated a clinical prediction rule to be used by EMTs trained in AED use for the termination of BLS resuscitation measures. The rule called for terminating efforts when there's no return of spontaneous circulation, no shocks administered and the arrest is not witnessed by EMS personnel. Followup data showed that of 776 patients for whom the rule called for termination, only four (0.5%) survived. The rule's positive predictive value for death when termination was recommended was 99.5%.

     The study appeared in the August 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.