Influence of physical fitness on the performance of 5-minute continuous chest compression - Introduction

A Special Author Introduction
European Journal of Emergency Medicine
ISSN: 0969-9546 • Frequency: 6/year • Subscribe Now • Journal Website

By Young-Min Kim

The new 2010 AHA guidelines give greater emphasis to the quality and quantity of chest compressions, because inadequate chest compressions during CPR may be insufficient to provide the required blood flow to preserve critical organ function. Little attention, however, has been paid on the factors that may influence the outcomes of chest compression. We therefore evaluated the influence of CPR provider’s physical fitness on the quality of chest compression, and the associated physiologic changes during continuous chest compressions for 5 minutes.

There was a significant reduction in the percentage of correct compressions after first minute: 78.8% in the first, 57.2% in the second, 43.4% in the third, 36.5% in the fourth and 28.0% in the fifth minute. We also observed good correlations between the numbers of correct compressions with muscle strength at each minute except the first minute. In multiple regression analyses, only muscle strength affects the quality of correct chest compression.

Considering a single-operator CPR performing over 5 minutes is a situation that arises occasionally during a real cardiac arrest, the duration of CPR depended on the individual physical fitness level, which may be a limiting factor. The results of this study suggest that a fitness program, such as muscle strength exercise for CPR providers, should be considered for improving survival from cardiac arrest.

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