CPR in space could be made easier by chest compression machines

Summary

Researchers test a chest compression machine on a dummy in an aeroplaneCNES Microgravity makes it tricky to do simple tasks like eating, using the toilet and showering, so it is no wonder that performing CPR on someone whose heart stops beating in space is an extremely demanding procedure. But a mechanical device could do the job more effectively, tests carried out in simulated microgravity suggest. On Earth, one’s weight and strength are used to compress the patient’s chest. But in space, things are different, as weight becomes virtually meaningless. NASA’s CPR protocol for the International Space Station demands that you wedge yourself and the patient between two hard surfaces, do a handstand on their chest and push with your legs to provide compression. In search of a better way, Nathan Reynette at the University of Lorraine in France and his colleagues tested various CPR methods in an Airbus A310 aeroplane flying parabolic curves, a manoeuvre that creates 22 seconds of microgravity. They also tested three different chest compression machines that are commonly used in cramped environments on Earth, such as in the back of air ambulance helicopters. All the methods were applied to a training dummy and the depths of chest compression achieved were carefully monitored. The European Resuscitation Council says a depth of at least 50 millimetres is necessary to be effective: in the tests, the best mechanical device achieved 53 millimetres, but the handstand method only achieved 34.5 millimetres. The research will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid on 31 August. Reynette and his colleagues said in a press release that they hope their findings will influence future guidelines on CPR in space. Astronauts practise chest compression techniques during an emergency training session aboard the International Space StationJSC/NASA Aaron Parkhurst at University College London says the current method for CPR in space is difficult to perform and ri...