Rationale for continuous chest compression cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Abstract

Every year more than a million cardiac arrests are documented in the industrialised nations of the world, with the majority occurring in settings outside hospital. A major factor in survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is early institution of bystander resuscitation efforts. Sadly, the majority of OHCAs do not receive bystander resuscitation for a variety of reasons. One of them is the requirement for mouth-to-mouth (MTM) ventilation. The 2008 American Heart Association recommendation for "hands only" or continuous chest compression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for untrained lay people was a welcome change. However, evidence indicates that MTM and other forms of positive pressure ventilation should be eliminated for all bystanders responding to primary cardiac arrest (unexpected witnessed collapse in an unresponsive person). The requirement for MTM ventilation may well be indicated for patients with respiratory arrest but is detrimental during early resuscitation efforts by anyone providing CPR to patients with primary cardiac arrest. This article provides rationale for continuous chest compression CPR by all bystanders.

Geographic factors are associated with increased risk for out-of hospital cardiac arrests and provision of bystander cardio-pulmonary resuscitation in Singapore

“…6 Studies have reported initiation of BCPR can increase survival by three-folds and early BCPR initiated less than 4 min after cardiac arrest can increase the odds of survival by 4.5 times. 7 Previous evidence suggested a significant regional variation in the incidence of OHCA events in Singapore. 8 One local study reported significantly poor survival outcomes among residential OHCA cases.…”

Knowledge of adult basic and advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation of medical residents at a third level in Paraguay

“…En los Estados Unidos de América, el Consejo de Acreditación de la Educación Médica de Grado considera a la reanimación cardiopulmonar como una de las habilidades generales que todos los egresados de escuelas de medicina deben poseer (9).…”

Reanimación cardiopulmonar básica: conocimiento teórico, desempeño práctico y efectividad de las maniobras en médicos generales

“…En Estados Unidos la Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education -ACGME definió la RCP como una de las competencias genéricas de los egresados de Medicina 14 . En nuestro país, la enseñanza de RCP es parte de la malla curricular de las principales Escuelas de Medicina.…”