Study Reinforces Efficacy of the LUCAS Chest Compression System

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reinforces the safety and efficacy of a medical device that keeps blood circulating to the heart and brain in victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

Data from the study suggests good neurological outcomes in patients treated with the LUCAS Chest Compression System from Physio-Control Inc. The study itself expands on results presented last fall at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, where neurological outcomes, measured using Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scores were positive in both groups. In the detailed results described in the article, trends toward better neurological outcomes in the LUCAS group can be found. Across the time points, consistently more patients in the LUCAS group had a CPC score of 1 (good cerebral performance) and consistently fewer patients treated with LUCAS had a CPC score of 3-4 (severe cerebral disability/comatose or vegetative state).

“Surviving sudden cardiac arrest by itself is not enough. The real measure of a successful outcome is if the patient can return to a good quality of life,” said Brian Webster, president and CEO, Physio-Control. “We are very encouraged by the good neurological outcomes in the patients treated with LUCAS. It serves as the highest level of scientific evidence in support of the safe and effective use of LUCAS.”

The JAMA study adds to more than 100 publications about the safety, efficacy and practical benefits of LUCAS.

“The LINC trial is the largest randomized trial published on mechanical CPR and one of the largest randomized trials in pre-hospital cardiac arrest,” said Erik von Schenck, vice president, CPR Products, Physio-Control. “It marks over five years of research and the involvement of more than 2,500 patients, 700 emergency medical service providers and 1,500 hospital staff.”

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most common causes of death in the Western world, affecting young and old alike. Uninterrupted and effective chest compressions are key for survival and outcomes, but exhausting and difficult to provide consistently and safely manually. The LUCAS Chest Compression System is a medical device that assists emergency care personnel in maintaining life-sustaining blood circulation to the brain and heart in sudden cardiac arrest patients. It provides consistent and effective chest compressions, designed according to the European Resuscitation Council and American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). LUCAS is applied within seconds and feasible for use in a majority of cardiac arrest patients in most situations. LUCAS has also been used to provide life-sustaining circulation in arrest patients either during simultaneous percutaneous coronary intervention or as a bridge to other therapies.

Physio-Control, Inc. is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company operates in over 100 countries and provides professional emergency medical response solutions that predict or intervene in life threatening emergencies.