Donation of Three LUCAS™ Chest Compression System Devices Make CPR More Effective to Help Save Lives, Boost Rescuer Comfort and Safety
Newport News, Va. – With a mission to help make lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedures safer and more effective for patients and first responders alike, Riverside Health System is pleased to announce it has donated three advanced LUCAS™ Chest Compression System devices to the Newport News Fire Department. The combined value of the donated devices is more than $50,000.
The Newport News Fire Department employs 371 firefighters and civilian personnel who staff 11 fire stations and support facilities. Responding crews typically handle in excess of 27,000 emergency and non-emergency responses annually, many of which involve administering CPR.
The LUCAS™ Chest Compression System is a portable tool designed to overcome CPR challenges presented with manual chest compressions. Studies have shown that LUCAS™ compressions are safe for patients and significantly improve the quality and consistency of compressions compared to manual CPR administered at the scene, during ambulance or helicopter transportation, or in the catheterization lab setting.
Research shows that approximately 60 percent of rescuers experience back discomfort when providing manual CPR. LUCAS™ facilitates effective CPR while reducing the risk of related back injuries for staff. In transportation scenarios, LUCAS™ enables rescuers to remain safely belted in place, and in the lab, it minimizes CPR providers’ exposure to avoid x-ray fields.
“Effective CPR is hard work, and it’s hands-on,” said Robert E. Lee, Assistant Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the Newport News Fire Department. “We are very grateful for Riverside’s donation of the LUCAS™ devices, which will enable our EMT staff to do their jobs safer and more effectively – and ultimately saving more lives.”
LUCAS™ assists rescuers with 100 chest compressions per minute with a precise depth of 1.5 to 2 inches as recommended by American Heart Association guidelines. The LUCAS™ 2 models donated by Riverside are battery powered for maximum portability and valued at approximately $17,000 each.
“For many years, Riverside Health System has been a close ally of the Newport News Fire Department and its world-class team of emergency medical technicians,” said Mary Haigh, Nurse Manager Assistant Riverside Emergency Department “We’re delighted to be able to partner with them once again on the deployment of advanced technology and lifesaving initiatives that will directly impact our community.”
Riverside also partnered with the Newport News Fire Department on its recent local implementation of PulsePoint, a smartphone app that alerts citizens to help nearby victims who are suffering from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
PulsePoint, a national program, works by inteRiverside Foundationacing with the local emergency dispatch systems of participating cities such as Newport News. When a caller dials 911 and indicates signs of SCA, citizens within a quarter mile of the caller who have the PulsePoint app installed on their phone are instantly alerted to the victim’s location and also given easy-to-follow CPR instructions.
“Studies show that SCA survival decreases by 7-10 percent with every minute that passes before help arrives, and what’s more, nearly 60 percent of victims don’t get CPR until professional help is on the scene,” said Lee. “PulsePoint is a very innovative way for us to leverage our friends and neighbors out and about in the community to get lifesaving care to victims as quickly as possible.”
For more information on Riverside, visit riversideonline.com.