TRMC EMS using Lucas Device to save lives

Titus Regional Medical Center earlier this year invested close to half a million dollars to upgrade the services in their emergency department, and one of the beneficial investments was the purchase of Lucas Devices.

A Lucas Device is used in the field during an active emergency to perform chest compressions when CPR is required. These devices do more than mimic what a person can do, as they exhibit perfect rhythm, speed, and depth, and can continue for up to 45 minutes on a single battery. With the LUCAS device, fatigue, individual variations or psychological factors are removed from CPR and there is no longer a need for switching CPR providers every two minutes. LUCAS helps provide high-quality and safer chest compressions in situations such as patient movement and transportation, during prolonged CPR or in the cath lab.

TRMC states that having a Lucas Device available increases the chance of getting the heart restarted successfully during a cardiac arrest and has already significantly increased the success rate in the TRMC facility during these situations. When used in the field, it frees up an EMS team member who would normally be performing chest compressions to focus on the cause of the cardiac arrest instead of simply reacting to the current symptoms.

Multiple clinical trials around the country have proven that the use of a LUCAS device has had a marked impact on healthcare. These studies have shown that the device creates more blood flow to the brain compared to manual CPR and 99 percent of those who have had a LUCAS device used on them have experienced a positive neurological outcome during a six month follow up.

Titus Regional Medical Center Executive Officer Terry Scoggin stated at the announcement of the investments into the department, “These investments in emergency care equipment will give our team the resources they need to save lives and perform at the highest level for safety and quality of care. This is an exciting time for TRMC.”