o Faster chest compressions
o Deeper chest compressions
o Decreased pauses in chest compressions, in general, as well as around the time of defibrillation
o Decreased ventilation rates
* These improvements in CPR performance correlated with an increased rate of initial survival (or "return of spontaneous circulation", also termed "ROSC") in the RAPID group.
In recent years, several studies documented that medical professionals were performing poor CPR that deviated from consensus guidelines, despite rescuer training and certification. [1] [2] [3] These studies were a catalyst for the 2005 AHA Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care to place a renewed emphasis on CPR training and education. [4] Yet, two years later, there is still a need for novel CPR training techniques to improve quality.

"As the trial demonstrates, balancing the correct number of breaths with the exact depth and rate of chest compressions in real-life CPR performance is actually a very complex process with a high likelihood of human error," said Benjamin S. Abella, M.D. MPhil, assistant professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and co-investigator of the study. "A focused educational debriefing program using data provided by the HeartStart MRx with Q-CPR technology helps emergency responders deliver quality CPR consistently, even in the most stressful and fast-paced environments."

Quality CPR and early defibrillation are inextricably linked - the combination is essential to increase the survival rate for victims of cardiac arrest. Q-CPR, available only on the Philips HeartStart MRx Monitor/Defibrillator, is the first and only comprehensive technology integrated into a monitor/defibrillator that provides real-time CPR monitoring and feedback for both chest compressions and ventilations (breaths). The technology, developed by Philips and Laerdal, offers medical professionals corrective feedback on the rate and depth of chest compressions, as well as the frequency and quality of ventilations, encouraging them to adjust their technique as needed to improve CPR.

"Studies such as the RAPID trial reinforce the need to better integrate CPR solutions with early defibrillation. We believe this to be the most promising path to improving survival rates for the thousands of victims of cardiac arrest each year," said Michael Miller, senior vice president of Cardiac Care for Philips Healthcare. "As a worldwide leader in resuscitation, Philips is dedicated to offering integrated solutions such as the HeartStart MRx with Q-CPR, to raise the bar in quality of resuscitation and ultimately improve patient outcomes."

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