An international research consortium, led by Sue Duval, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, was able to identify what is likely an optimal combination of chest compression frequency and depth when performing CPR.

The findings, published in JAMA Cardiology, suggest the combination of 107 compressions per minute and a depth of 4.7 cm (about 2 inches) in the first five minutes of CPR can be associated with significantly improved outcomes when Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescuers are treating cardiac arrest outside the hospital.

“What also makes this particular study especially novel for the resuscitation research community is the presentation of the data using contour plots — graphical representation similar to a temperature map — where the hottest points correspond to the best chance for neurologically intact survival,” said Duval. “I believe this was another pivotal step in the continuum of research efforts to further save lives through robust data analysis.”

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