ACTIVE COMPRESSION-DECOMPRESSION RESUSCITATION - EFFECTS ON PULMONARYVENTILATION

This investigation was designed to test the hypothesis that active com pression-decompression resuscitation is able to independently provide improved levels of minute ventilation when compared to high-impulse ma nual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Eight adult beagles (10-15 k g) were studied after induction of ventricular fibrillation. Single 1- min CPR trials were performed while arterial blood gases and minute ve ntilation were monitored. ACD and high-impulse CPR were performed sequ entially, in random order at compression rates of 120/min, 1.5- to 2.0 -inch compression depth and 50% duty cycle. Minute ventilation average d 3.6 +/- 0.77 1 during high-impulse CPR and increased to 4.9 +/- 0.88 1 during ACD CPR. No difference was observed in arterial blood pH, PC O2, or PO2 when ACD was compared to high-impulse CPR. We conclude that ACD CPR provides improved levels of minute ventilation when compared to high-impulse manual CPR in this canine model of cardiac arrest. Imp roved minute ventilation may contribute to the mechanism of improved c ardiopulmonary hemodynamics reported in previous investigations of ACD CPR. Further investigation is warranted to determine the effects of A CD CPR on pulmonary ventilation in human subjects after cardiac arrest .