Bad CPR pun? Probably.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Along with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), using an automatic external defibrillator or AED is critical to surviving cardiac arrest. This device delivers a shock of electrical energy to the affected heart.

Knowing this, investigators at Oregon Health and Science University recently examined CPR in a study completed earlier this month. By enrolling 11,000 people felled by cardiac arrest, this study is the largest of its type ever attempted.

“We went into this study knowing that CPR before defibrillation was important but not how much CPR was needed,” said Mohamud Daya, M.D., lead investigator of the study and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.

In the clinical trial, ambulance teams were randomly assigned to use an automatic external defibrillator (AED) after giving either thirty seconds or three minutes of chest compressions. Both methods are considered standard practice.

“Overall survival in this study was higher than expected even though the study did not find that any of the interventions tested was better than another” said Dr. Terri Schmidt, one of the study investigators.

In order to provide the most effective CPR and AED training, we need studies like this one. Get trained now at the Red Cross!

Information courtesy of OregonLive and OHSU.
Image courtesy of redcross.org.uk