• S H Thomas, C K Stone, P E Austin, J A March, and S Brinkley.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858-4354.
• Am J Emerg Med. 1995 Mar 1;13(2):155-7.

AbstractPrevious research at the Division of Air Medical Services at East Carolina University School of Medicine has demonstrated impairment of chest compression efficacy in the setting of an airborne BO-105 helicopter. This study was undertaken to determine whether in-flight compression efficacy could be improved with utilization of a pressure-sensing monitor providing real-time feedback during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Ten flight nurses each performed two minutes of in-flight chest compressions on a mannequin that electronically assessed compression depth and hand placement. The session was then repeated using the pressure-sensing device. The mean proportion of correct compressions (95.7 +/- 3.2%) achieved with utilization of the pressure-sensing monitor was significantly higher (P < .01) than the corresponding proportion for the control group (33.4 +/- 12.1%). This study demonstrated that the difficulties of performing effective in-flight chest compressions are largely overcome with utilization of a pressure-sensing device providing real-time feedback on compression efficacy.

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