Thoracic Biomechanics and Structural Degradation During Manual vs. Mechanical CPR: A Literature Review

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is the gold standard for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Present resuscitation guidelines call for compression of 50-60 mm deep at a rate of 120 beats per minute in order to ensure sufficient pressure for coronary and cerebral perfusion. Nevertheless, creating pressure gradients inside the skeleton. This review analyzes the work concerning the mechanical damage to the ribs during manual CPR compared to mechanical CPR performed with either piston driven system or load distributing band (LDB). According to the synthesized data, although mechanical devices solve the problem of fatigue and control of compression depth, these systems apply concentrated point loads and result in more fractures. LDBs spread the force around and change the pattern of stress. Such knowledge is crucial for further improvement of resuscitation devices and techniques