title: Rescuers may vary their side of approach to a casualty without impact on cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance is influenced by a rescuer's preferred side of approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three first-year healthcare students were enrolled in a prospective randomised crossover study comparing chest compression quality during uninterrupted chest compression CPR after approach from both their preferred and non-preferred sides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chest compression quality was not dependent on rescuers' sidedness preference; neither mean compression rate and depth nor hand positioning differed between sides of approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No link exists between the side from which a rescuer approaches, or prefers to approach, a casualty and chest compression quality.
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. cmj744@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Thorne
authors.forename: Penelope S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Colter
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macrae
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hulme
mesh_terms: D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D002983:Clinical Competence; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies