Read more: Local, Health, Science, LUCAS, Device, Mclaren Regional Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, CPR, Automation
A new medical device is helping to save lives while making the work easier for rescue personnel and more effective for patients.
It's called the LUCAS device.
It automates compressions during CPR making the process a lot more beneficial.
McLaren Regional Medical Center has three of them.
If you don't have a pulse, the device could be your life-saver.
It delivers the correct amount of compressions per minute while giving emergency personnel more options.
Don Adams, the emergency services educator at McLaren says, "It frees up the area around the patient for the doctor to get closer because usually there's someone standing here doing compressions."
The $15,000 device does the work of several rescuers.
The recommendation is 100 compressions a minute which can wear someone out in a hurry.
Adams says, "You'd have to compress about twice every second and fatigue was a big issue. We end up switching out rescuers 5, 6, 7, 8,9 times just because they're getting so tired."
The LUCAS device does all the work without tiring.
It takes just 9 seconds to set up. So far, the feedback has been flawless.
Adams says, "We haven't heard a bad word about them from anybody."
It's already been used on scores of patients at McLaren Regional Medical Center.
The McLaren Foundation purchased the 3 devices.
The Center's rapid response team, nurses, and other emergency personnel have all been trained on it.
