Influence of Rescuers’ Gender and Body Mass Index on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation according to the American Heart Association 2010 Resuscitation Guidelines

Abstract

Background and Objectives. The quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important factor in determining its overall outcome. This study aims to test the association between rescuers' gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), and the accuracy of chest compressions (CC) as well as ventilation, according to American Heart Association (AHA) 2010 resuscitation guidelines. Methods. The study included 72 participants of both genders. All the participants received CPR training according to AHA 2010 resuscitation guidelines. One week later, an assessment of their CPR was carried out. Moreover, the weight and height of the participants were measured in order to calculate their BMI. Results. Our analysis showed no significant association between gender and the CC depth (P = 0.53) as well as between gender and ventilation (P = 0.42). Females were significantly faster than males in CC (P = 0.000). Regarding BMI, participants with a BMI less than the mean BMI of the study sample tended to perform CC with the correct depth (P = 0.045) and to finish CC faster than those with a BMI more than the mean (P = 0.000). On the other hand, no significant association was found between BMI and ventilation (P = 0.187). Conclusion. CPR can be influenced by factors such as gender and BMI, as such the individual rescuer and CPR training programs should take these into account in order to maximize victims' outcome.

Morbid Obesity Impairs Adequacy of Thoracic Compressions in a Simulation-Based Model

“…Results from this analysis showed that younger heavier rescuers were more likely to achieve a greater depth. This is consistent with the findings of other studies that suggest a positive relationship between rescuer weight and adequacy of compressions 16,20,21,26 . It is also possible that younger participants have a higher proportion of lean muscle, more cardiovascular fitness or a less nihilistic approach; this is purely speculative, however is consistent with work recently published by Tellson et al 16,21 .…”

Randomised simulation trial found an association between rescuers' height and weight and chest compression quality during paediatric resuscitation

“…Interestingly, men performed more chest compressions with the correct rate on the baby manikin, which contradicts previous evidence. In resuscitation studies on adult manikins, researchers observed that women performed CPR with higher compression rates than men . In our study, the males achieved better complete chest recoil with the baby manikin than females.…”

“…Cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality can be affected by many different factors, such as whether the rescuer feels stress or fatigue, their medical experience and the medical equipment available at the scene. Studies have reported that anthropometric variables, such as body height and weight, may influence chest compression quality to a certain extent . However, the results of these studies were limited by the small number of participants and they tended to focus on basic life support for adults.…”

Comparison of chest compression quality in walking versus straddling cardiopulmonary resuscitation during stretcher transportation: A prospective randomised crossover study using manikins

“…There are studies that associate chest compressions with sex. Although some studies show no difference [9–11], most studies have shown a decrease in chest compression depth when CPR is performed by female participants [12–25]. Under certain conditions, sex differences become more marked.…”