Effect of interposed abdominal compression during CPR on central arterial and venous pressures

Despite the problems inherent in estimating blood flow from pressure, determination of systolic arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is common and probably valuable as an indicator of potential systemic flow. The addition of interposed abdominal compression (IAC) to closed-chest CPR has been promoted because of its potential to increase systolic arterial pressure during CPR. Interposed abdominal compressions have also reportedly increased diastolic arterial-central venous pressure difference (DA-DCVP) and, thus, have the potential to increase coronary vascular flow. Two distinct methods of CPR were studied in conjunction with IAC. In six humans, there was no significant increase late in the resuscitative process in systolic arterial pressure or in DA-DCVP difference with IAC as compared with the two methods of CPR studied without IAC.