Did you know that although you may have been properly trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the odds of saving somebody else’s life may be dependent on your own health? According to research published in the journal BMC Emergency Medicine, a provider’s physical fitness level correlates with the ability to properly administer external chest compressions that circulates oxygenated blood to an individual that has stopped breathing. People who have a higher body mass index (BMI) and increased levels of aerobic fitness capacity are more likely to provide adequate compressions to an effective depth and for an extended period of time versus those good Samaritans that are weak and diminutive. Because of these findings, Advanced Life Support guidelines now recommend that people performing CPR should alternate their efforts with other individuals every two minutes.
So, next time your heart stops, pick a big guy to compress you…