The impact of a ventilation timing light on CPR Quality: A randomized crossover study

A ventilation timing light (VTL) is a small commercially available single-use device that is programmed to light up at six-second intervals prompting rescuers to provide a single controlled breath during manual ventilation. The device also indicates the duration of the breath by remaining illuminated for the duration of the inspiratory time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the VTL on a selection of CPR quality metrics.

A total of 71 paramedic students who were already proficient in performing high-performance CPR (HPCPR) were required to perform HPCPR with and without a VTL. The quality of the HPCPR delivered, reflected by the selected quality metrics; chest compression fraction (CCF), chest compression rate (CCR), and ventilation rate (VR), was then evaluated.

While HPCPR with and without a VTL were both able to achieve guideline-based performance targets of CCF, CCR, and VR, the group who had used the VTL to deliver HPCPR were able to consistently provide 10 ventilations for every minute of asynchronous compressions (10 breath/min vs 8.7 breath/min p < 0.001).

The use of a VTL allows for a VR target of 10 ventilations per minute to be consistently achieved without compromising guideline-based compression fraction targets (>80%), and chest compression rates when used during the delivery of HPCPR in a simulated OHCA event.