Cardiac Support Pump Improves CPR Delivery

A new study shows that the likelihood of achieving a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is 62% greater when using a cardiac support pump to deliver chest compressions.

Researchers at Theda Clark Regional Medical Center (Neenah, WI, USA) conducted a meta-analysis of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that affected changes in ROSC rates from 12 previously published human studies, involving 6,538 patients, which compared the use of both manual and mechanically delivered chest compressions during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA), with a total of 1,824 ROSC events.


The results showed that compared with manual CPR, load-distributing band assisted CPR had significantly greater odds of return of spontaneous circulation. The difference in percentages of ROSC rates from CPR was 8.3% for the load-distributing band ZOLL (Chelmsford, MA, USA) AutoPulse device, and 5.2% for piston-driven device assisted CPR, representing a 62% more likelihood of producing ROSC. In contrast, an analysis of the results demonstrated that the treatment effect for piston-driven CPR was similar to manual CPR. The study was published in the May 8, 2013, issue of Critical Care Medicine.

“This analysis contributes greatly to our understanding of the impact mechanical CPR systems have in the prehospital setting. The use of ROSC as a primary endpoint is most appropriate in this environment,” said lead author lead author Mark Westfall, DO. “Whereas survival is an endpoint influenced by a variety of factors that aren’t necessarily related to the quality of CPR performed in the field, the ability to achieve ROSC in the prehospital setting is closely linked to the delivery of high-quality chest compressions.”

“This is the first paper that looks at the efficacy of multiple mechanical CPR technologies; the analysis produced two major findings. First, it showed a 62% greater likelihood of achieving ROSC with the AutoPulse, while a parallel analysis showed no change in ROSC when a piston-driven device was used to provide chest compressions,” commented on the study Jonathan Rennert, President of ZOLL. “Secondly, the analysis confirms expert opinion that findings from one mechanical CPR technology cannot be applied to another.”

The ZOLL AutoPulse mechanical CPR system uses a load-distributing band to deliver circumferential compressions by squeezing the entire chest to improve blood flow to a patient’s heart and brain during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The high-quality uninterrupted CPR chest compressions help to maintain myocardial and cerebral perfusion.

Related Links:
Theda Clark Regional Medical Center
ZOLL