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In cardiac arrest, is it best to start pumping on the victim's chest or give an immediate shock to the heart? A new study has found that both rescue strategies are effective, yet chest compressions before defibrillation may be best in events where emergency response times are longer than five minutes.

(University of Arizona Health Sciences Center) The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest outside a hospital was found to be twice as high when bystanders performed continuous chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth breathing than when bystanders performed standard CPR. In those receiving standard CPR (alternating between 30 compressions and 2 breaths), survival was 6 percent. In contrast, 11 percent survived if bystanders kept pumping on their chest and did not stop for mouth-to-mouth breaths until emergency medical services arrived.

The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest outside a hospital was found to be twice as high when bystanders performed continuous chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth breathing than when bystanders performed standard CPR. In those receiving standard CPR (alternating between 30 compressions and 2 breaths), survival was 6 percent. In contrast, 11 percent survived if bystanders kept pumping on their chest and did not stop for mouth-to-mouth breaths until emergency medical services arrived.

Maximizing the proportion of time spent performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation substantially improves survival in patients who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, according to a multicenter clinical study.

The chance that a person in cardiac arrest will survive increases when rescuers doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) spend more time giving chest compressions, according to a multi-center study.

(UT Southwestern Medical Center) Maximizing the proportion of time spent performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation substantially improves survival in patients who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, according to a multicenter clinical study that included UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dispatchers should give CPR instructions to bystanders of all suspected cardiac arrest victims, researchers said. The benefit of CPR to those having a cardiac arrest far outweighs the risk of injury to those who aren't. During 9-1-1 calls, dispatchers help bystanders correctly identify patients in cardiac arrest about half the time. Of 1,700 patients studied, three who incorrectly received CPR had minor injuries linked to chest compressions.

(Ohio State University) People can survive cardiac arrest if they receive only chest compressions during attempts to revive them -- as advised by the current American Heart Association guidelines. But they cannot survive without access to oxygen sometime during the resuscitation effort, research suggests. Scientists tested different scenarios in an animal study of cardiac arrest. Rats received either 100 percent oxygen, 21 percent oxygen -- the equivalent of room air -- or no oxygen (100 percent nitrogen) at the same time they received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

(American Heart Association) The 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC update the 2005 guidelines. When administering CPR, immediate chest compressions should be done first. Untrained lay people are urged to administer hands-only CPR (chest compressions only).