Cardiac Massage in Microgravity Thais Russomano* João de C. Castro** Simon Evetts*** Lisa Evetts*** John Ernsting*** *Microgravity Lab/PUCRS, Brazil **Fundação Ruben Berta, Brazil ***King’s College London, UK

Objectives To test the feasibility and practicability of performing CPR in microgravity single person no equipment Access the victim Open the airway Perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation Perform external cardiac massage (ECM)

ECM - New Technique The practitioner encircles the thorax of the victim with his legs in order to hold the patient close to him whilst compressing the patient’s chest between his hands and legs

Cardiac Massage in Space JSC/NASA - s 92 34279

Cardiac Massage in Space JSC/NASA - s 92 34275

Cardiac Massage Preliminary Study

Cardiac Massage during Parabolic Flight

Method 29th ESA Parabolic Flight Campaign 3 subjects CPR manikin - Resusci Anne, Laerdal, UK European Resuscitation Council External Cardiac Massage: Chest Compression = 40 - 50 mm Compression rate = 80 - 100 per min

Cardiac Massage during Parabolic Flight

Results Chest Compression Number of parabolas = 93 Number of chest compressions = 672 Chest Compression Mean +/- SE Depth 36.1 +/- 1 mm Rate 80.2 +/- 3.2 per min

Conclusion Chest compression rate and depth were close to those specified by the European Resuscitation Council The new single person technique of ECM can be performed efficiently in microgravity

Further Studies To determine Techniques to be used the maximum duration of ECM the feasibility of performing mouth-to-mouth ventilation minimum leg length required upper limb strength required Techniques to be used Body suspension studies Water immersion studies

Body suspension studies Further Studies Body suspension studies