title: Physical fitness affects the quality of single operator cardiocerebral resuscitation in healthcare professionals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sustained external chest compressions during cardiocerebral resuscitation (CCR) are physically demanding. It might be hypothesized that a high cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and/or muscle strength delays the development of physical fatigue and, consequently, preserves CCR quality. We intended to assess the impact of cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and muscle strength on CCR quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen healthcare professionals (10 men and five women, mean age 34±9 years) performed a 15-min hands-on CCR session on an adult training manikin. CCR compression depth (from which CCR quality was calculated) and frequency were monitored. During CCR we assessed serial blood lactate concentrations, and provided continuous heart rate monitoring. Relationships were examined between participant characteristics, peak cardiopulmonary exercise capacity, ventilatory threshold, maximal muscle strength, muscle strength endurance and CCR quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant univariate correlations were found between 15-min CCR quality and body height (r=0.53), ventilatory threshold (r=0.67), peak oxygen uptake capacity (r=0.54), peak cycling power output (r=0.54), and maximal isometric elbow extension strength (r=0.55) (P<0.05). CCR quality was significantly lower in females, when compared with males (P<0.05). Within different timeframes, CCR quality was mainly related to the ventilatory threshold up to the first 5 min (P<0.05), whereas CCR quality was mainly related to maximal isometric elbow extension strength after 5 min (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthcare professionals, the ventilatory threshold is significantly related to CCR quality during the first few min. Healthcare professionals who are regularly involved in CCR should therefore aim to achieve/sustain a high aerobic exercise capacity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Study registration number: ISRCTN70447230, www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN70447230.
authors.affiliation: Heart Centre Hasselt/Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vranckx
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Broekmans
authors.forename: Bert O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Eijnde
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandekerckhove
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Broos
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dendale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016552:Ergometry; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid