Computer Simulations of Hemodynamic Effects of Different CPR Techniques

Abstract

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a simple and effective medical treatment for sudden cardiac arrest patients. Most research on CPR is animal experiments and human trials. Because there are many confounding factors present in experiments, conflicting conclusions are often drawn. In this paper, we follow the line of theoretical research on CPR. We adapt previous CPR models, simulate five CPR techniques using the adapted model, and compare their hemodynamics in the same test system. Comparison with experimental data shows that our simulation results agree quite well with experimental data. Our simulation results show that when external counter pulsation is applied during CPR, it may improve cardiac output and increase diastolic aortic pressure. Yet external counter pulsation is not widely used during CPR. We suppose that it deserves further research. Given the benefits of models and simulations, our adapted model may be a useful tool in CPR research.