UMEM Educational Pearls

Improving CPR Performance

  • High-quality CPR is the cornerstone of successfull resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
  • In fact, high-quality CPR is considered the most important intervention for achieving ROSC and good neurologic recovery.
  • Pearls for optimizing CPR performance include:
    • Use a team-focused approach
    • Avoid leaning and ensure complete recoil of the chest
    • Target a chest compression fraction of at least 60%
    • Use POCUS, but pay attention to the duration of hands-off time
    • Target ETCO2 of > 20 mm Hg

References

Nassar BS, et al. Improving CPR performance. Chest. 2017. {epub ahead of print] 

Jentzer JC, et al. Improving survival from cardiac arrest: A review of contemporary practice and challenges. Ann Emerg Med. 2016; 68:678-89.