The study of the effectiveness of chest compressions using the CPR-plus

Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) requires a high level of skill from both healthcare professionals and the lay public. Inadequate chest compressions are a common cause of ineffective CPR. The CPR-plus is a non-invasive, hand-held, simple to use CPR adjunct designed to assist the rescuer to monitor and modify the compression technique during CPR, hopefully resulting in improved rescuer performance and more effective CPR. Forty qualified nurses were evaluated while they performed chest compressions on a training manikin. During simulated two-rescuer CPR (compression/ventilation ratio 5:1), the participants performed 150 compressions at a rate of 80-100/min. Compressions were performed with and without the CPR-plus and the results compared. The use of the CPR-plus was randomised with regard to whether the adjunct or the standard method was used first. The average number of correctly applied compressions was significantly better when the CPR-plus was used: 135.35/150 versus 110.70/150 (p = 0.0001). Improvements in techniques associated with the use of the CPR-plus also included a reduction in excessive application of pressure and incorrect hand position. The device provided reassurance of satisfactory compressions and an indication of impending fatigue in the rescuer. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.