Study: Longer CPR on scene boosts cardiac arrest survival

Reuters

CHICAGO — Firefighters and paramedics in Los Angeles who spent at least 20 minutes giving advanced life support to people with cardiac arrest before rushing them to the hospital were far more successful at getting hearts started again, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops circulating blood. Survival rates for cardiac arrest that occurs outside of a hospital are very poor.

But firefighters and paramedics in Los Angeles who used the new protocol succeeded in restoring heart beats 29 percent of the time, a 70 percent improvement over the 17 percent success rates seen in a prior study in Los Angeles.

Full Story: Uninterrupted chest compressons also supported