New Albany Fire gets new chest compression machines for CPR
New Albany Fire has a new piece of equipment that can help save lives in a heart emergency.

The LUCAS machine can be used when someone is in cardiac arrest. The machine performs consistent, mechanical chest compressions for as long as 45 minutes.

It’ll help keep paramedics from getting fatigued during a medical emergency when someone needs prolonged CPR. The LUCAS machine will also allow first responders to focus on getting the patient to the hospital as quickly as possible. According to a study, the short-term survival rate for the machine versus manual CPR is 107% higher.

“When you look at a scenario where you have to perform CPR for a prolonged period of time, sometimes up to an hour, or sometimes longer, when you look at moving patients from out of bedrooms, out of homes, up and down steps, loading them into the ambulance, it’s very challenging for first responders to provide high-quality compressions,” Ameripro Health Director of Operations Joe Rose said. “The LUCAS device enables them to ensure the patient is receiving high-quality chest compressions for the duration of the cardiac arrest.”

Every New Albany ambulance is now equipped with the device.