Clinical Utility of a Feedback Device in High-Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: The Guardian Angel

Background/Objectives: High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is essential for improving clinical outcomes in patients experiencing cardiac arrest. Feedback devices designed to guide CPR must offer real-time feedback on chest compression quality for use by both medical personnel and laypersons. To describe the impact of using an infrared-based device to provide feedback on chest compression quality during CPR performed by healthcare personnel. Methods: A before-and-after study conducted in a simulated hospital from February 2019 to February 2020 evaluated the difference in the percentage of adequate chest compressions in depth and rate. This was assessed by comparing the number of adequate compressions to the total performed in one minute, both with and without the use of a feedback device. Results: A total of 90 participants were recruited, with an average age of 31.2 years (SD: 8.86), of which 60% (54/90) were women. In infants and schoolchildren/adults, high-quality compressions improved by 66% (85% vs. 19%; p < 0.001) and 54% (79% vs. 25%; p < 0.001), respectively, when guided by the GA compared to the control group. In participants without training and experience in CPR, the use of the Guardian Angel achieved high-quality compressions of 45% (10/22) and 66% (25/42), respectively, when evaluating depth for the schoolchildren/adults group. The use of the device during CPR, even in situations of moderate or severe fatigue, resulted in an improvement in high-quality compressions in terms of frequency, reaching 73% (16/22) in infants and 68% (15/22) in schoolchildren/adults. Conclusions: The Guardian Angel improves both the frequency and depth of compressions in participants without previous CPR experience or training. Additionally, the device demonstrated notable improvements in compression frequency, even in situations of moderate or severe fatigue.