Rescuer fatigue in the elderly: standard vs. hands-only CPR.

<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (HO-CPR) is recommended as an alternative to standard CPR (STD-CPR). Studies have shown a degradation of adequate compressions with HO-CPR after 2 min when performed by young, healthy medical students. Elderly rescuers' ability to maintain an adequate compression rate and depth until emergency medical services (EMS) arrives is unknown.</p>
<p><b>OBJECTIVES: </b>The specific aim of this study was to compare elderly rescuers' ability to maintain adequate compression rate and depth during HO-CPR and STD-CPR in a manikin model.</p>
<p><b>METHODS: </b>In this prospective, randomized crossover study, 17 elderly volunteers performed both HO-CPR and STD-CPR, separated by at least 2 days, on a manikin model for 9 min each. The primary endpoint was the number of adequate chest compressions (&gt; 38 mm) delivered per minute. Secondary endpoints were total compressions, compression rate, and the number of breaks taken for rest.</p>
<p><b>RESULTS: </b>There was no difference in the number of adequate compressions between groups in the first minute; however, the STD-CPR group delivered significantly more adequate chest compressions in minutes 2-9 (p&lt;0.05). The total number of compressions delivered was significantly greater in the HO-CPR than STD-CPR group when considering the entire resuscitation period. A significantly greater number of rescuers took breaks for rest during HO-CPR than STD-CPR.</p>
<p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Although HO-CPR resulted in a greater number of overall compressions than STD-CPR, STD-CPR resulted in a greater number of adequate compressions in all but the first minute of resuscitation.</p>