News Summary

• The LUCAS chest compression system can take over one of the most important — and physically demanding — parts of CPR.
• A backplate goes beneath the torso, and a frame locks onto it.
• An electrically driven piston presses a suction-cup-like pad against the sternum.
• The machine can keep compressing while a patient is being carried, wheeled through corridors, or transported in an ambulance.
• The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation currently recommends against routine mechanical CPR.