%0 Journal Article %A J S Farmery %A M Carter %T Use of the Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System in the MD902: a fire safety assessment %D 2007 %R 10.1136/emj.2006.039768 %J Emergency Medicine Journal %P 110-111 %V 24 %N 2 %X Background: The Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System (LUCAS) is a gas-driven mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation device. If oxygen is used as the driving gas in a confined environment, there is a potential fire hazard. 24% oxygen is considered the threshold for increased risk. Objective and methods: Three trials were conducted using different cabin ventilation settings to determine the rise in oxygen concentration in an MD902 helicopter during use of the LUCAS. Results: The oxygen concentration rose rapidly with the aircraft at rest, but during flight, using realistic cabin ventilation settings and durations of use, the oxygen concentration failed to reach 24%. Conclusion: The LUCAS is safe for normal-duration flights in an MD902 helicopter. It is potentially unsafe in a static MD902 and, by extrapolation, in other static aircraft of similar or smaller size such as the EC135 or Bolkow 105. %U https://emj.bmj.com/content/emermed/24/2/110.full.pdf