Pre-hospital use
Frees up rescuers to focus on other life-saving tasks
LUCAS™ assists at the scene, providing effective compressions and freeing up rescuers to focus on other life-saving tasks, such as ventilation, medication and defibrillation. LUCAS™ has been in use in large pre-hospital organisations since 2003. Several publications confirm the practical benefits of implementing and using the LUCAS™ device in the pre-hospital setting and some points at an increased short-term survival (return of spontaneous circulation) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) .
Mechanical CPR for safe transportation
LUCAS™ enables the transportation of victims with ongoing compressions from the scene to the ambulance, and further on to the hospital to treat the cause of the arrest. This is very difficult to achieve with manual compressions (7).
In addition, rescuers will no longer have to compromise their own safety by providing compression during transportation. With LUCAS™ consistently performing the compressions, rescuers are still able to sit firmly, belted and watching over the patient.
LUCAS™ and sudden cardiac arrest
The below film is an introductionary video on LUCAS™ and the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest. To view the full length film you need either to click on the link to the left or download the film by clicking on the link to the right.
Duration: 5 min 16 sec.
Note; simulated compressions on actor playing patient, not real.
1) Rubertsson et al; American Heart Congress 2007, Nov 5, Abstract 1813; Early Survival After Cardiac Arrest In A Pilot Study Using The LUCAS Device Compared To Manual Chest Compressions During CPR
2) Maule; Urgences & Accueil, Volume 7, Numéro 29, Juin-Juillet-Août 2007; (Translation from French; Mechanical external chest compression: a new adjuvant technology in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.)
3) Axelsson et al; Resuscitation 71 (2006), 47—55. Clinical consequences of the introduction of mechanical chest compression in the EMS system for treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest - a pilot study
4) de Knock et al; Resuscitation 70 (2006), 2 Aug p 305. The use of LUCAS for in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests
5) Steen et al; Resuscitation 67 (2005), 25-30. Treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with LUCAS, a new device for automatic mechanical compressions and active decompression resuscitation
6) Halliwell et al ; British journal of resuscitation vol3, no 2 autumn (2004) Evaluation of LUCAS
7) Glasheen et al; Prehospital Emergency Care Jan/March (2007) 11.1. Effectiveness of single rescuer delivered chest compressions using 15:2 versus 30:2 in both static and mobile environments compared with an active decompression device
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.
