Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA) has equipped its ambulances with new cardiac monitors, putting it on the receiving end of some brand-new technology.

The authority, which serves Mt. Lebanon and five other communities, switched from the Stryker monitors it had been using for several years to Zoll X Series Advanced.

“Stryker was the pre-hospital industry standard for a really long time, at least around here,” said MRTSA Chief David Terkel. “But we feel that the Zoll products serve our patients better.”

One of the tangible benefits of the switch is the Zoll monitors, which are prevalent in the aeromedical industry, are smaller and lighter, a plus for medics who already carry a heavy load of equipment to calls. But the deal-closer was the next generation of Zoll monitors, the Zenix, which has just recently received FDA approval and is still in production.

“The Zenix is what really sold us,” Terkel said.

MRTSA is the first agency in the region to make the switch to Zoll. The cost of the seven X Series Advanced monitors was $364,600, and Zoll will replace them with the Zenix model when it becomes available at no extra cost.

The Zenix has programmable screens with the ability to put in parameters geared to a patient’s individual circumstances.

“Different types of injuries require different levels of vital signs,” said Terkel, “and the Zenix allows us treat the patients within those parameters, that best suits that type of patient. It’s really advanced on how it helps the clinicians treat the patients.”

A color-coded dashboard lets the responders know when all of the parameters are at optimum levels.

Another feature is audio/visual feedback on CPR performance, which is recommended by the American Heart Association. The feedback features audible alerts if a medic is not doing the compressions effectively enough.

“We believe these devices will not only enhance the high level of care our patients have come to expect, but will also integrate more seamlessly with the software we use for electronic charting,” said Terkel.