Objective: The most significant factor that increases the survival rate in out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest cases is cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which is started early and performed effectively. The present study aims to compare the effectiveness of manuel chest compressions applied by healthcare workers to the effectiveness of a mechanical chest compression device in an ambulance moving in real urban traffic.

Materials and Methods: The thirty healthcare workers were asked to perform chest compressions in different chest wall stiffnesses on manikin in ambulance. During chest compressions, the ambulance was continuously under way in real urban traffic. Then, a mechanical chest compression device was placed on the manikin and chest compressions were performed under the same conditions. Average speeds and depths of chest compressions for each cycle were recorded with a computer program.

Results: The median chest compression depths of healthcare workers group and mechanical chest compression device group were 52 mm and 55 mm at 6 nm chest wall stiffness and 42 mm and 51 mm at 11 nm nm chest wall stiffness. When the number of compressions per minute was examined, the median value was 102 /min in both groups at 6 nm chest wall stiffness and 85 /min and 101/min at 11 nm chest wall stiffness.

Conclusion: Mechanical chest compression device provides more effective chest compression during transport when compared to manual compression. The effectiveness of mechanical chest compression increases in patients with high body mass index.