Dickinson County EMS has a new tool in its arsenal which can significantly increase the odds of survival for an individual experiencing a cardiac arrest. LUCAS (Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System) is a mechanical chest compression device that delivers high quality, consistent chest compressions to patients having a cardiac arrest. Staff with Dickinson County EMS conducted a simulation during the Thursday, April 14 Dickinson County Commission meeting, showing commissioners, department heads and others attending how the system works. LUCAS allows life-saving chest compressions to begin onsite, whether that be in the patient’s home or elsewhere. “If somebody goes into cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, there’s about a two percent chance of survivability,” explained John Hultgren, Dickinson County EMS/Health Department director. “We do what we can to increase those odds. “So far, during the first quarter of this year, we worked 12 cardiac arrests in our county,” Hultgren added. “Just this month, that number is up to 16.” Of those 16, responding EMS members were able to regain a pulse on four of the individuals before the ambulance left the residence, he said. “That’s a 25 percent survivability rate on cardiac arrest,” Hultgren said. “That’s really high.” Dickinson County received the LUCAS device through grant money provided by a SPARK grant (Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas), awarded during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
