Alternative Mechanical Methods of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has become the standard of care for providing circulatory support to victims of cardiac arrest. However, despite its widespread acceptance, few victims ever survive to hospital admission and even fewer to hospital discharge. In hopes of improving survival rates of those suffering cardiac arrest, investigators have suggested and tested several modifications to standard CPR to optimize its hemodynamic effects. In this review, we discuss the important chest compression techniques that have been used over the past 3.5 decades which have mirrored our evolving understanding of the mechanisms underlying CPR.