Integrated Resuscitation

Abstract

A resuscitation system that includes at least two defibrillation electrodes configured to be applied to the exterior of the chest of a patient for delivering a defibrillation shock, a source of one or more ECG signals from the patient, a defibrillation circuit for delivering a defibrillation shock to the defibrillation electrodes, a control box that receives and processes the ECG signals to determine whether a defibrillation shock should be delivered or whether CPR should be performed, and that issues instructions to the user either to deliver a defibrillation shock or to perform CPR, wherein the determination of whether CPR should be performed and the instructions to perform CPR can occur at substantially any point during a rescue.

1 . A defibrillation electrode assembly comprising:
 an electrode configured to be adhesively secured to the chest of a patient in cardiac arrest;   a first electrical connecting element for connecting the electrode to a defibrillator,   wherein the electrode and electrical connecting element are configured to deliver a high voltage defibrillation pulse to the patient;   an accelerometer mechanically connected to the electrode, the accelerometer being configured to provide an output signal from which chest displacement can be determined by signal processing.   
     
     
         2 . The electrode assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a second electrical connecting element for connecting the accelerometer to the defibrillator. 
     
     
         3 . The electrode assembly of  claim 2  wherein the first and second electrical connecting elements are each a multi-connector cable. 
     
     
         4 . The electrode assembly of  claim 3  wherein the first and second electrical connecting elements are provided by one cable containing electrical conductors for both the electrode and the accelerometer. 
     
     
         5 . The electrode assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a second electrode configured to be adhesively secured to the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The electrode assembly of  claim 4  wherein the first and second electrode are mechanically connected to one another, so that the accelerometer is mechanically connected to both the first and the second electrode. 
     
     
         7 . The electrode assembly of  claim 1  wherein the accelerometer is configured and located so that a rescuer delivering chest compressions can press down on the accelerometer in delivering chest compressing forces to the patient.