Nurse Research Spurs Donation of Lucas Chest Compression Devices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         

Contact:  Nanette Bentley

513-952-4713, NBentley@mercy.com 

Nurse Research Spurs Donation of Lucas Chest Compression Devices

(CINCINNATI; October 30, 2019) – In busy emergency departments, extra pairs of helping hands are always welcome. A Lucas chest compression device is a tool that performs CPR mechanically and it can free up medical staff to provide patients in cardiac arrest with other timely critical care services.

Mercy Health Foundation – Cincinnati recently provided $60,000 for the purchase of six Lucas devices to join those already in place at Mercy Health – Anderson Hospital, Clermont Hospital and Mt. Orab Medical Center. Thanks to the Foundation’s generosity, each Mercy Health emergency department in Cincinnati will have one of the devices.

The Foundation made the funding available based on the results of a research study conducted by a team of nurses from The Jewish Hospital – Mercy Health. Before requesting funding for the devices, the nurses wanted to ensure the devices could match the quality of manual chest compressions. 

The nurses recruited a team of registered nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists and emergency department technicians who have completed training in basic life support and advanced cardiac life support to participate in the study. They alternated testing the effectiveness of the Lucas devices and manual compression on high quality simulation mannequins in 10-minute adult cardiac arrest simulations.

The high-fidelity simulation mannequins detect the depth, release and frequency of compressions with real-time feedback on the quality of the CPR, generating a report with a score for each testing event. The results showed that the compressions provided by both the device and the staff were comparable when looking at group means.

“During debriefings after the simulations, the staff provided feedback that the mock codes with the device ran more smoothly than those with the staff-only groups. Code situations can be naturally chaotic but the device seemed to foster a calmer environment,” said primaryinvestigator Sarah Barno, who worked with co-investigators Hillary Fox and Jessica Dayton on the study.

“We also observed that the teams using the devices demonstrated more organized teamwork than their counterparts. They had time to share ideas and communicate clearly and concisely. They also appeared less physically tired after the code simulations since they were not worn out from performing compressions,” said Barno. “Finally, when the devices were in use, the team could run the mock codes with fewer people, allowing staff to run labs, update family, locate supplies or care for other patients in the emergency department.”

The Emergency Nurse's Association selected Barno and Fox to share their findings with a national gathering of emergency department nurses at the association’s national conference in Austin, Texas last month.

The team is contemplating conducting further research on how the Lucas devices can affect team dynamics and impact behavior during a code situation.

Mercy Health aims to have the new devices in place by the end of the year. Mercy Health Foundation – Cincinnati also partnered with Fairfield Emergency Medical Services to provide the squad with a Lucas device.

For more information on Mercy Health Foundation – Cincinnati, visit foundation.mercy.com/cincinnati.aspx.

Mercy Health - Cincinnati is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMHealth.org), one of the top 20 health systems in the United States, one of the largest employers in Ohio and part of the top performing quartile of Catholic health systems for lowest cost per case for patient care.  Mercy Health – Cincinnati makes advanced, compassionate, quality health care easy to help you be well in mind, body and spirit. Mercy Health – Cincinnati has been serving Greater Cincinnati for more than 160 years and provides an integrated network of leading physicians, compassionate caregivers, comprehensive services and exceptional care at more than 180 locations across the region. The Mercy Health – Cincinnati network of care includes five award-winning hospitals, senior living communities, primary care and specialty physician practices, outpatient centers, fitness centers and a variety of outreach programs. Mercy Health Cincinnati hospitals have earned national Truven Health Analytics’ 100 Top Hospitals honors more times than all other Cincinnati hospitals combined, placing them among the best hospitals in the nation. Truven has also named Mercy Health Cincinnati as one of the nation’s Top 15 health systems six times, more than any other health system in Cincinnati. To learn more visit, mercy.com and engage in the conversation via Mercy Health Cincinnati’s social media channels (@mercy_health on Twitter and Mercy Health Cincinnati on Facebook).

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