Comparison of mechanical characteristics of the human and porcine chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Background: Most studies investigating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) interventions or functionality of mechanical CPR devices have been performed using porcine models. The purpose of this study was to identify differences between mechanical characteristics of the human and porcine chest during CPR. Material and methods: CPR data of 90 cardiac arrest patients was compared to data of 14 porcine from two animal studies. Chest stiffness k and viscosity mu. were calculated from acceleration and pressure data recorded using a Laerdal Heartstart 4000SP defibrillator during CPR. K and mu were calculated at chest compression depths of 15, 30 and 50 mm for three different time periods. Results: At a depth of 15 mm porcine chest stiffness was comparable to human chest stiffness at the beginning of resuscitation (4.8 vs. 4.5 N/mm) and clearly lower after 200 chest compressions (2.9 vs. 4.5 N/mm) (p < 0.05). At 30 and 50 mm porcine chest stiffness was higher at the beginning and comparable to human chest stiffness after 200 chest compressions. After 200 chest compressions porcine chest viscosity was similar to human chest viscosity at 15 mm (108 vs. 110 Ns/m), higher for 30 mm (240 vs. 188 Ns/m) and clearly higher for 50 mm chest compression depth (672 vs. 339 Ns/m) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, human and porcine chest behave relatively similarly during CPR with respect to chest stiffness, but differences in chest viscosity at medium and deep chest compression depth should at least be kept in mind when extrapolating porcine results to humans. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.