Automatic mechanical chest compression during gravity-dependent flight maneuvers and during microgravity.

DOI: 10.36210/BerMedJ/epub502203

Abstract

In order to realise successful compression of the thorax and thoracic wall according to applicable guidelines in compression frequency and compression depth, automatic chest compression devices are used. Automatic mechanical chest compressions (ACD-CPR) using medical devices (corpuls-cpr®) are subject to bioelastic resistances of the thorax and chest wall. The influence of gravity has not yet been investigated for ACD-CPR. The medical devices used in air rescue for mechanical chest compression are subject to different gravitational forces in the different phases of flight. The intended analysis of CPR treatment in aviation is to determine the compression frequency and depth as well as the applied compression force in the context of gravitational forces in hypergravity and microgravity during the 186th parabolic flight of the A310 Air Zero G.

The aim of the investigation was to determine the effectiveness of the ACD-CPR during the parabolic flight. Compared to the standard measurements on the ground (s_mean=5.00±0.01cm/ f_mean=100±0.01/min), the compression parameters changed during the parabolic flight in the horizontal flight phase (s_mean=4.85±0.07cm/ _fmean=99.59±1.10/min), in the hypergravity flight phase (s_mean=4, 84±0.06cm/ f_mean=99.11±1.51/min) as well as the microgravid flight phase (s_mean=4.83±0.08cm/ f_mean=100±0.00/min) were not significantly different from the ALS training simulation model used (QCPR Resusci Anne Laerdal Medical Ltd, Orpington, UK) and the ACD-CPR of corpuls-cpr®.

The compression force of the corpuls-cpr® was 571.0±10.5 Newtons (N) during the standard ground measurements. During parabolic flight, the compression force changed to 574.7±9.60 N in horizontal flight and to 570.2±10.78 N in the hypergravity flight phase, to not significantly change to 577.5±8.37 N in the microgravity flight phase.

We could not determine an influence of the flight-specific gravitations for the effectiveness of the automatic mechanical thorax compressions during a parabolic flight.