In-hospital use
Mechanical CPR buys time for salvage
LUCAS™ has been used successfully in several cardiac arrests of different aetiologies (myocardial infarction, anaphylactic shock, accidental hypothermia, and pulmonary emboli) in the hospital. Effective and tireless LUCAS™ compressions have enabled a prolonged resuscitation during which the cause of the arrest was able to be found and treated (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
LUCAS™ in the cath lab
LUCAS™ has also proven to be an appreciated tool in the catheterisation laboratory (cath lab) (7, 8, 9 ,10). This is where myocardial infarction patients are treated with stents and balloons in order to restore the coronary blood flow.
In the infrequent, but catastrophic cases of therapy-resistent cardiac arrest during a procedure, e.g. due to a sudden and abrupt occlusion of a major coronary artery, defibrillation alone is not able to revers the arrest. The best alternative often is to continue the intervention during CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
However, providing manual CPR on a patient who is lying on the cath lab table is exceedingly difficult, for practical, efficacy and safety reasons. With LUCAS compressions, the best possible circulation is sustained without compromising rescuer/patient safety or continued intervention.
LUCAS™ is mostly radio-translucent and allows for most x-ray projection angles as well as for simultaneous catheterisation and coronary intervention.
This angiography shows a heart in cardiac arrest. After a short while LUCAS™ is started and the contrast is immediately circulated. LUCAS™ sustains the blood circulation of cardiac arrest patients in the cath lab and allows for simultaneous intervention to treat the cause of the arrest.
Angiographic film, courtesy of Dr. G K Olivecrona, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
1) Schäfer et al; Clin Res Cardiol 96: Suppl 1 (2007). P961 - Reanimationsbehandlung mittels LUCAS – ein Fallbericht (P961 – Resuscitation with LUCAS – a case report)
2) Vatsgar et al; Resuscitation 68 (2006) 155—159. Cardiac arrest and resuscitation with an automatic mechanical chest compression device (LUCAS) due to anaphylaxis of a woman receiving caesarean section because of pre-eclampsia
3) Linder et al; Lakartidningen (Journal of Swedish physcian´s association) no 34, (2006), volyme 103. Mechanical compression during PCI saved life (Swedish: Mekanisk kompression under perkutan koronarintervention räddade liv)
4) Holmstrom et al; Resuscitation 67 (2005), 139-141. A case of hypothermic cardiac arrest treated with an external chest compression device (LUCAS) during transport to re-warming
5) Wik et al; Resuscitation 66 (2005) 391-394. Use of an automatic chest compression device (LUCAS) as a bridge to establishing cardiopulmonary bypass for a patient with hypothermic cardiac arrest
6) Nielsen et al; Resuscitation 65 (2005), 111-113. Successful resuscitation with mechanical CPR, therapeutic hypothermia and coronary intervention during manual CPR after out-of-hsoptial cardiac arrest
7) Larsen et al; Resuscitation. 2007 Dec;75(3):454-9. Cardiac arrest with continuous mechanical chest compression during percutaneous coronary intervention A report on the use of the LUCAS device
8) Grogaard et al; J Am Coll Cardiol; 2007 Sep 11;50(11):1093-4.Continuous mechanical chest compressions during cardiac arrest to facilitate restoration of coronary circulation with PCI.
9) Agostoni et al; Int J Cardiol. (2007) Feb 28. Successful percutaneous treatment of an intraprocedural left main stent thrombosis with the support of an automatic mechanical chest compression device
10) Olivecrona et al; tctmd.com Case of the week 24th of October (2006) Mechanical Chest Compressions in a Patient with Left Main Closure During PCI
Please note: LUCAS™ Chest Compression System is available in different versions, with different power solutions. All versions provide chest compressions according to AHA and ERC guidelines. Most publications and studies are done on LUCAS™1.
The pneumatic LUCAS™1 (V1 and V2) are CE marked, and LUCAS™1 (V2) has a 510k clearance for marketing in the US, is approved in Japan and has several international registrations.
The electric LUCAS™2 is CE-marked for sales in Europe, approved in Canada and has a 510k clearance for marketing in the US.
