In the immortal words of Mr. Spock the Enterprise’s first officer in Star Trek, ‘Sometimes you have to have faith that the universe will unfold as it should.’
And I for one believe the universe wants Associated Ambulance to have the Lucas automated CPR machine.
Earlier in this issue, we published a story about how the company decided to pull the device from active service citing a liability issue, because of a lack of documentation to determine if the unit is certified for its intended use and that it has been properly maintained. The other reason the company told the Leader is that their crews do not have the appropriate training to operate the unit. Valid reasons to be sure, but not insurmountable.
The Barrhead Fire Department has the maintenance records for the unit and the Grizzly Trail Rescue Association is willing to pick up the associated maintenance costs, and according to fire chief John Whittaker, training is as easy as taking a short online course that is available for little to no cost.
Admittedly the whole idea of mechanical CPR devices is relatively new and there is still research being done on the subject, but by and large the results seem promising.
St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and BC Emergency Health Services are currently in the middle of a trial to determine the effectiveness of mechanical units. When paramedics arrive on the scene of someone experiencing cardiac arrest, they’ll start performing manual CPR for up to 10 minutes and assess whether the person is fit to use the automatic machine. Depending on EMS, the patient will either continue to receive CPR manually, or ambulance crews can switch to the Lucas machine. Once at the hospital, if the patient has not been resuscitated, physicians have the option to continue CPR using a larger machine called the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECMO-CPR).
So far it seems most paramedics involved in the trial are excited about the potential of the Lucas machine, for the same reason why both the fire departments in Fort Assiniboine and Barrhead are — because it allows EMTs to perform other critical life-saving duties and eliminates the fatigue factor. It is also the same reason Trevor Trefanenko, Barrhead’s director of ambulance services, accepted the unit five years ago. Just eliminating the fatigue level sells me on the unit. So let’s everyone have faith in the universe and trust Lucas will soon be back in its rightful home, a Barrhead ambulance.
