ROLE OF OPEN CHEST MASSAGE IN IMPROVING SURVIVAL FROM CARDIAC ARREST.

It has been shown previously that dogs have a poor prognosis for being resuscitated from prolonged ventricular fibrillation if their coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) cannot be maintained above 30 mm Hg with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Therefore, a study was done to determine if open chest massage (OCM) could improve the survival of dogs in whom the CPP could not be maintained above 30 mm Hg during closed chest massage (CCM). The number of dogs resuscitated using OCM at 15 minutes were significantly different than the number of dogs resuscitated using CCM. There was also a decline in the successful resuscitation rate when OCM was initiated at 20 and 25 minutes. Aortic systolic and diastolic pressures and CPP were significantly higher during the first two minutes of OCM when compared to CCM. The results indicate that survival may be improved using OCM when CCM fails to produce an adequate CPP. However, successful resuscitation with OCM is dependent on the time in which it is initiated.