Automatic chest compression devices--when do they make sense?
The current resuscitation guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council do not include automatic chest compression devices (ACDs) as standard equipment to support cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts. One possible reason could be the lack of a list of indications and contraindications for the use of ACD systems. This review should give a summary of current studies and developments according to ACD systems and deliver a list of possible applications. Furthermore, we discuss some ethical problems with cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts and, in particular, with ACD systems. The use of ACDs occurs instead of manual chest compression. Because of this, there is no reason for changing the current guidelines, especially termination recommendations while using ACD systems. From our point of view, ACDs are a very good supplement to the current standard of resuscitation according to the European Resuscitation Council guidelines.
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany; Department of internal medicine III, Klinikum Kassel, Kassel, Germany. Electronic address: Philipp-adams@gmx.de.
Philipp
P
Adams
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany.
Ralf
R
Schmitz
Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St John of God, Linz, Austria.
Dominik
D
Laister
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany; Department of anaesthesiology, St. Vincenz Hospital, Paderborn, Germany.
Matthias
M
Rüther
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany.
Dennis
D
Happe
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany.
Peter
P
Sommerfeld
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany.
Guido
G
Hartmann
City of Paderborn Fire department, Paderborn, Germany.
Sascha
S
Wecker
D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000075202:Contraindications; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy; D006336:Heart Massage / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic