Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Quality by Helicopter Rescue Swimmers While Flying

• Helicopter rescue swimmers are able to maintain the on land cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality while flying.
• However, they need to improve the CPR quality.
• The mean tidal volume of rescue breaths was higher in-flight.

ObjectiveOur objective was to assess the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality by helicopter rescue swimmers (HRSs) while flying.MethodsTwenty HRSs from the Spanish Maritime Safety took part in this study. The research protocol included 2 phases: a baseline test (5 minutes of CPR on land) and a challenge test (5 minutes of CPR on a Sikorsky S-61N helicopter in-flight). A Laerdal Resusci Anne mannequin with Laerdal PC Skill Reporting (Stavanger, Norway) was used to register CPR variables.ResultsCPR quality on land versus in-flight was not significantly different. The mean chest compression (CC) depth (52.6 mm on land vs. 51.9 mm in-flight) was inside the recommended range, but mean CC rate (133 vs. 132 per minute), tidal volume (752 vs. 888 mL), and hands-off time (9 per cycle in both tests) were above the 2015 recommended goal. Incomplete chest re-expansion was observed in 19% of on land and 26% in-flight CCs. CPR quality was maintained throughout the 5-minute challenges.ConclusionHRSs are able to perform CPR in a flying helicopter with similar quality to CPR on land. They need additional training to avoid excessive CC rates, tidal volumes, and hands-off times and to permit chest re-expansion.