BACKGROUND Recent data highlight a vital link between well-performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and survival after cardiac arrest; however, the quality of CPR as actually performed by trained healthcare providers is largely unknown. We sought to measure in-hospital chest compression rates and to determine compliance with published international guidelines. METHODS AND RESULTS We deve...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Because efforts to secure adequate arterial oxygenation during cardiac resuscitation are more important than efforts to promote CO(2) elimination, we investigated whether continuous transtracheal oxygenation (TTO) could represent a potentially simpler alternative to conventional positive-pressure ventilation with 100% O(2) through an endotracheal tube. DESIGN Controlled and r...

BACKGROUND In the clinical setting, the dispersed practitioners' attention often leads to decreased competence in their performance. We aimed to investigate the effect of distracted practitioners on the quality of chest compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS A randomized controlled crossover simulation study was conducted. Participants were recruited from among doctors, nur...

PURPOSE Chest compressions are often performed at a variable rate during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The effect of compression rate on other chest compression quality variables (compression depth, duty-cycle, leaning, performance decay over time) is unknown. This randomised controlled cross-over manikin study examined the effect of different compression rates on the other chest compres...

The first description of modern cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) included the instruction to compress the chest “about 60 times per minute”1; however, the optimal compression rate was unknown. Franz Koenig is credited with describing the original technique for external cardiac massage, which included a compression rate of 30 to 40 per minute.2 But in the first published description of extern...

BACKGROUND The 2010 Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations Statement recommended that short video/computer self-instruction courses, with minimal or no instructor coaching, combined with hands-on practice can be considered an effective alternative to instructor-led basic life support courses. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a simplified cardiopulmonary ...

According to the thoracic pump model of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the heart serves as a passive conduit for blood flow from the pulmonary to the systemic vasculature, necessitating an open mitral valve and anterograde transmitral blood flow during chest compression. To assess the applicability of this model to manual CPR techniques, two-dimensional echocardiograms were recorded from ...

Vibration is a manual technique used widely to assist with the removal of pulmonary secretions. Little is known about how vibration is applied or its effect on the respiratory system. The purpose of this study was to describe mechanical consequences of vibration on the chest wall of a normal subject and the effects of vibration on expiratory flow rates and volumes. The effects of vibration were...