The outcome of using the LUCAS® mechanical chest compression device during cardiorespiratory arrest: an integrative literature review

• Autor(a) principal: Simões, Marta da Cruz
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Vale, Lina Maria Quintão, Cunha, Romana Filipa Gonçalves, Araújo, Isabel
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.34632/cadernosdesaude.2022.11510

Introduction: Heart arrest is a critical event that prompts the stopping of spontaneous blood flow. To restore it and secure the maintenance of vital organs, chest compression can be operated either manually or by the means of a mechanical device. Goals: Analysing the existing scientific evidence on the effectiveness of the LUCAS® mechanical chest compression device in the event of heart arrest. Materials and methods: An integrative literature review using the PubMed, Medline, Cinahl and Cochrane digital databases with the query: cardiopulmonary resuscitation AND mechanical chest compression AND LUCAS®, with search results going from 2016, the year of the launching of the LUCAS® latest version, and 2021, the year in which the present study was initiated. Two exclusion criteria were applied: a searches conducted on animals, mannequins or through simulation, and integrative literature reviews or meta-analysis studies. The gathering of data took place between 7 September and 12 November 2021, and after the exclusion criteria were run 5 articles were selected from the 261 that were gathered. Results: The number of muscle, skeletal and soft tissue lesions were higher when chest compression was operated using LUCAS®. The restoring of blood flow was more frequent among patients treated with LUCAS® than in those treated by the means of manual chest compression. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation success rate was lower when using LUCAS® than when compression was manual. The using of LUCAS® entails higher costs in terms of health care and state aid. Neurological prognostication is better and with fewer complications after resuscitation among patients treated with manual chest compression. No significant differences arose between the two groups of patients as far as the average length of hospital stay, the need for intensive care, overall health and emotional wellbeing were concerned. Conclusions: The use of LUCAS® in the event of heart arrest does not seem to be more beneficial to patients than their treatment through manual chest compression. Research limitations were such as the uneven number of patients in both groups, the lack of information on the profile of participants, and the lack of knowledge regarding the medical crew’s revious experience and training using LUCAS®.