• Jiri Karasek, Petr Ostadal, Frantisek Klein, Alena Rechova, Jiri Seiner, Matej Strycek, Rostislav Polasek, and Petr Widimsky.
• Department of Cardiology, Regional Hospital Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic; 3rd Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Emergency Medical System, Samaritans of the Czech Republic, Prague-West, Prague, Czech Republic.
• J Emerg Med. 2020 Nov 1; 59 (5): 673-679.

BackgroundThe LUCAS (Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System; Physio-Control Inc./Jolife AB, Lund, Sweden) was developed for automatic chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Evidence on the use of this device in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) suggests that it should not be used routinely because it has no superior effects.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the effect of CPR for OHCA with and without LUCAS via a regional nonurban emergency medical service (EMS) physician-present prehospital medical system.MethodsWe analyzed a prospective registry of all consecutive OHCA patients in four EMS stations. Two of them used a LUCAS device in all CPR, and the EMS crews in the other two stations used manual CPR. Individuals with contraindication to LUCAS or with EMS-witnessed arrest were excluded.ResultsData from 278 patients were included in the analysis, 144 with LUCAS and 134 with manual CPR. There were more witnessed arrests in the LUCAS group (79.17% vs. 64.18%; p = 0.0074) and patients in the LUCAS group were older (p = 0.03). We found no significant difference in return of spontaneous circulation (30.6% in non-LUCAS vs. 25% in LUCAS; p = 0.35). In the LUCAS group, we observed significantly more conversions from nonshockable to shockable rhythm (20.7% vs. 10.10%; p = 0.04). The 30-day survival rate was significantly lower in the LUCAS group (5.07% vs. 16.31% in the non-LUCAS group; p = 0.044). At 180-day follow-up, we observed no significant difference (5.45% in non-LUCAS vs. 9.42% in LUCAS; p = 0.25).ConclusionsUse of the LUCAS system decreased survival rate in OHCA patients. Significantly higher 30-day mortality was seen in LUCAS-treated patients.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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