By Scott M. Bruner
EMS1 Product Editor
When Randy Roberson, of Houston, dropped to the floor at work, convulsing, with a severe heart attack, his chances of survival became increasingly slim. Three minutes after coworkers called 911, Northwest Emergency Medical Services EMTs Daniel Hancock and Patrick Casey arrived on the scene and went to work. One of the first things they did was use a LUCAS Chest Compression System on Roberson – and it helped save his life.
The $15,000 LUCAS Chest Compression System, designed and developed by the Swedish company Jolife, is a pneumatic chest compression tool that delivers CPR to a patient while maintaining a fixed and steady rate of compression. It allows EMTs to focus on other lifesaving efforts while the Lucas handles the CPR.
“It does CPR and doesn’t get tired, it doesn’t have to stop to take breaths,” NWEMS Chief Brian Petrilla told the Tomball Potpourri. “It does the same compression 100 times a minute and pushes and pulls at the same time to circulate the blood.”
The push and pull system allows for a complete recoil of the chest to ensure the blood to can build up pressure. This is essential to keeping the brain alive and functioning.
The LUCAS Chest Compression System “maintains the head while we can fix the problem with the heart,” Petrilla said. The system’s steady rate of compression means EMTs don’t have to deliver constant CPR with the threat of fatigue – or the possibility of irregular compressions.
In Roberson’s case, the LUCAS system was essential to his survival. Although he has lost some memory, and a lot of weight, he is happy to be alive. In fact, this week, he was able to meet the paramedics, and the LUCAS system, that saved his life.
“We at Jolife are very excited to hear that Randy Roberson is doing well and the rescue team did a fantastic job,” Erick von Schenck, CEO of Jolife said. “It is also valuable for us to hear the benefits of the LUCAS device being confirmed by U.S. users…With the LUCAS device, rescuers get a tool that will help improve patient outcomes and improve resuscitation.”
The LUCAS system slips around a patient and can be applied to a cardiac arrest patient in under 20 seconds, and provides sternal compression on the middle of the chest. The suction cup and compression pad which provide the steady compressions are adjustable for chest height.
Jolife offers two models of the LUCAS Chest Compression System, one that is powered pneumatically, and the Lucas 2 system which saved Roberson is battery-powered. Both are portable, the pneumatic system is only 14 pounds, and the Lucas 2 is 17.3 pounds.
Jolife develops, manufactures and markets the LUCAS Chest Compression System together with complementary technologies. They can be found on the Web at www.jolife.se. LUCAS Chest Compression systems can be purchased in the U.S. through Physio-Control.