Hyperventilation-Induced Hypotension During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

BACKGROUND: A clinical observational study revealed that rescuers consistently hyperventilated patients during out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The objective of this study was to quantify the degree of excessive ventilation in humans and determine if comparable excessive ventilation rates during CPR in animals significantly decrease coronary perfusion pressure and survival. METHODS AND RESULTS: In humans, ventilation rate and duration during CPR was electronically recorded by professional rescuers. In 13 consecutive adults (average age, 63+/-5.8 years) receiving CPR (7 men), average ventilation rate was 30+/-3.2 per minute (range, 15 to 49). Average duration per breath was 1.0+/-0.07 per…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• AH
  American Heart Association
• MC
  Medical College of Wisconsin
• ZM
  ZOLL Medical Corporation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• NH
  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute