Physio-Control Announces Availability Of LUCAS Chest Compression System In United States
Seattle, WA - Physio-Control, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., recently announced that the LUCAS Chest Compression System is available in the United States through an exclusive distribution partnership with JOLIFE AB (Lund, Sweden). LUCAS will enable emergency medical services personnel throughout the country, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and fire and hospital personnel, to provide more consistent and effective chest compressions during resuscitation efforts, in accordance with the American Heart Association's 2005 Guidelines. Physio-Control has been the exclusive distribution partner for the device in Europe since November 2004.
The LUCAS Chest Compression System is an external medical device that provides chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). LUCAS runs on high-pressure air supplied either by a compressed air tank or the air wall outlet in a hospital. Designed for both out-of-hospital and in-hospital use, LUCAS is indicated for treatment of adult patients who have acute circulatory arrest defined as absence of spontaneous breathing and pulse, as well as loss of consciousness.
"With our company's 52-year commitment to saving more lives from sudden cardiac arrest, it makes perfect sense to expand the portfolio of resuscitation products and solutions we make available to our customers," said Brian Webster, president of Physio-Control. "This new offering through Physio-Control is another example of our intent to bring innovation to the industry and to augment our already market-leading product offerings."
"Emergency medical systems and hospitals around Europe have successfully implemented the LUCAS Chest Compression System," said Erik von Schenck, chief executive officer of JOLIFE. Based on the enthusiasm of our customers and the continuous reports of lives saved, we are convinced this product will be part of standard treatment within a few years time. We are very pleased to work with Physio-Control, and believe our products complement each other perfectly."
The LUCAS Chest Compression System
LUCAS is designed to provide consistent and uninterrupted chest compressions according to recommendations in the American Heart Association's 2005 Guidelines, helps reduce hands-off intervals in treating patients, enables high quality compressions due to a consistent source of air, and allows defibrillation while patients are receiving mechanical chest compressions. LUCAS is easy to use, maintain and carry to the patient, and offers the following additional advantages:
- Enables hands-free compressions, allowing responders to provide other lifesaving therapies such as ventilations, medication and defibrillation, and to think ahead in planning the patient's care
- Provides sustained, effective circulation during patient transport in both out-of-hospital and in-hospital situations
- Makes effective CPR possible from the field to the hospital and reduces the impact of extenuating circumstances on the interruption and quality of chest compressions, such as transport conditions, rescuer fatigue and rescuer experience level
- Enhances the safety of both the patient and care provider by securing the patient's arms before transport and enabling rescuers to sit, wearing seatbelts during transport, rather than standing to provide compressions in a moving vehicle
- The LUCAS Chest Compression System has been available in Europe via a distribution partnership with Physio-Control since November 2004. There are currently more than one thousand units (European version) in use in Sweden and other Nordic countries, the UK and Holland, and other geographies are obtaining regulatory approvals as well.
LUCAS Launch in the United States
The LUCAS Chest Compression System will be evaluated by several select U.S. customers who are participating in an assessment program during the initial launch phase for the product. These early adopters serve areas with a relatively high incidence rate of cardiac arrest and have a leader in resuscitation science as part of their medical staff. Following the phased launch, Physio-Control will gradually expand the customer base, making LUCAS fully available nationwide.
"We at Allina Medical Transportation are very excited to be one of the first U.S. users of the LUCAS mechanical compression device," said Dr. Charles Lick, medical director of Allina Medical Transportation in Minneapolis. "Based on multiple studies and my direct observations, I am convinced mechanical chest compression devices will deliver improved circulation to cardiac arrest victims and offer the potential for improved neurological survival in our cardiac arrest patients versus manual CPR. I also anticipate that mechanical compression devices will further improve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and we will save more patients. Initial training on LUCAS has shown it is easy to apply and use in cardiac arrest patients."
LUCAS demonstrations will be provided during the Scientific Assembly of the American College of Emergency Physicians in Seattle, October 8–10 and EMS Expo in Orlando, October 11–13, 2007.
About Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
Sudden cardiac arrest, an abrupt loss of heart function, is a leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming the lives of approximately 335,000 men, women and children every year. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) approximately 95 percent of SCA victims die. The AHA has defined a Chain of Survival for SCA that includes early notification of 9-1-1, early CPR, early defibrillation (within five minutes outside the hospital and three within the hospital) and early advanced emergency medical care.
Although not everyone can survive sudden cardiac arrest, survival rates are dramatically improved with early intervention according to the Chain of Survival. Defibrillation is the single most effective treatment of sudden cardiac arrest, and effective CPR is critical in the return of spontaneous circulation as well as quality of life following an SCA event.
SOURCE: Physio-Control