Nurse CPD Online – Lucas 2 Chest Compression System

As Nurse Educators we don’t often get the opportunity to rave about new technologies or gadgets. Tuesday 19th July, however, was an exception for our Managing Director Robin Tchernomoroff.

One of LearnPRN’s first ever clients was East Wimmera Health Service, and we have enjoyed a long relationship with them for over a decade. Robin was St Arnaud doing ALS testing when she got to see their new LUCAS2 Chest Compression System in action.

When teaching ALS & BLS, the most common concern is the strength and pace of cardiac compressions. In order to be able to save the lives of cardiac arrest patients and avoid neurological damage, a steady supply of oxygen to the heart and brain is required. Life-sustaining circulation can be created through effective and uninterrupted chest compressions. Performing manual chest compressions of high quality is both difficult and tiring, and impossible in certain situations. The quality varies depending on who provides CPR and deteriorates quickly after only one or two minutes. In rural hospitals, often only having two staff on duty means that ALS might be delayed. LUCAS is easy to carry in its own backpack, and can be applied to the patient with interruptions of manual compressions of less than 20 seconds. Robin knows because she tried it! With this tool, one staff member is immediately freed up to commence ALS measures!

According to the company’s website, use of the Lucas 2 results in a 60% increase in blood flow to the brain when compared with manual CPR compressions.

This post is not an advertisement for the LUCAS, simply an expression from us that we are excited to see a product like this on the market and in use by regional and rural hospitals.