The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7444 p336
24 March 2007

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Support for resuscitation with only chest compression

Bystanders called to attend adults who suffer a heart attack should use chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth ventilation, according to new research (Lancet 2007;369:920).

Researchers prospectively studied the outcome of over 4,000 heart attacks and found that cardiac-only resuscitation resulted in more favourable neurological outcomes than conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with apnoea (P=0.0195), shockable rhythm (P=0.041), and where resuscitation started within four minutes of arrest (P=0.0221). There was no evidence for any benefit from the addition of mouth-to-mouth ventilation in any subgroup.