Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Relationship Of Blood Pressure And Flow During Cpr To Chest Compression Amplitude: Evidence For An Effective Compression Threshold, Charles F. Babbs, W D. Voorhees, K R. Fitzgerald, H R. Holmes, L A. Geddes

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to investigate the importance of the depth of chest compression in producing effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in animals, as indicated by cardiac output and mean arterial blood pressure. Cardiac output was measured by a modified indicator dilution technique in 8 anesthetized dogs, 6 to 12 kg body weight, during repeated 2-minute episodes of electrically induced ventricular fibrillation and CPR provided by a mechanical chest compressor and ventilator (Thumper^®). Chest compression exceeding a threshold value (x₀) between 1.5 and 3.0 cm was required in each animal to produce measurable cardiac output. In particular, …