Resuscitation, prolonged cardiac arrest, and an automated chest compression device

The European Resuscitation Council's 2005 guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) emphasize the delivery of uninterrupted chest compressions of adequate depth during cardiac arrest.

To describe how the circumstances of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can impede the performance of CPR, and how this situation can be overcome.

The presentation of two cases of prolonged CPR (48 min and 120 min, respectively) with an automated chest compression device, the AutoPulse, under difficult circumstances. Both patients survived without neurological sequelae.

Prolonged chest compressions may be necessary in some cardiac arrests. These cases suggest that automated chest compression devices may increase the chance of a favorable outcome in these rare situations.