Influence of Rescuers' Gender and Body Mass Index on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation according to the American Heart Association 2010 Resuscitation Guidelines

Background and Objectives. The quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important factor in determining its overall outcome. This study aims to test the association between rescuers' gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), and the accuracy of chest compressions (CC) as well as ventilation, according to American Heart Association (AHA) 2010 resuscitation guidelines. Methods. The study included 72 participants of both genders. All the participants received CPR training according to AHA 2010 resuscitation guidelines. One week later, an assessment of their CPR was carried out. Moreover, the weight and height of the participants were measured in order to calculate their BMI. Results. Our analysis showed no significant association between gender and the CC depth (P = 0.53) as well as between gender and ventilation (P = 0.42). Females were significantly faster than males in CC (P = 0.000). Regarding BMI, participants with a BMI less than the mean BMI of the study sample tended to perform CC with the correct depth (P = 0.045) and to finish CC faster than those with a BMI more than the mean (P = 0.000). On the other hand, no significant association was found between BMI and ventilation (P = 0.187). Conclusion. CPR can be influenced by factors such as gender and BMI, as such the individual rescuer and CPR training programs should take these into account in order to maximize victims' outcome.