Evaluation of the Boussignac Cardiac arrest device (B-card) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an animal model

Aim of the study The purpose of this study was to examine continuous oxygen insufflation (COI) in a swine model of cardiac arrest. The primary hypothesis was COI during standard CPR (S-CPR) should result in higher intrathoracic pressure (ITP) during chest compression and lower ITP during decompression versus S-CPR alone. These changes with COI were hypothesized to improve hemodynamics. The second hypothesis was that changes in ITP with S-CPR + COI would result in superior hemodynamics compared with active compression decompression (ACD) + impedance threshold device (ITD) CPR, as this method primarily lowers ITP during chest decompression. Methods After 6 min of untreated ventricular fibrillation, S-CPR was initiated in 8 female swine for 4 min, then 3 min of S-CPR + COI, then 3 min of ACD + ITD CPR, then 3 min of S-CPR + COI. ITP and hemodynamics were continuously monitored. Results During S-CPR + COI, ITP was always positive during the CPR compression and decompression phases. ITP compression values with S-CPR + COI versus S-CPR alone were 5.5 ± 3 versus 0.2 ± 2 (p < 0.001) and decompression values were 2.8 ± 2 versus −1.3 ± 2 (p < 0.001), respectively. With S-CPR + COI versus ACD + ITD the ITP compression values were 5.5 ± 3 versus 1.5 ± 2 (p < 0.01) and decompression values were 2.8 ± 2 versus −4.7 ± 3 (p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion COI during S-CPR created a continuous positive pressure in the airway during both the compression and decompression phase of CPR. At no point in time did COI generate a negative intrathoracic pressures during CPR in this swine model of cardiac arrest.