What does chest compression fraction measure?

Chest compression fraction is a critical metric that quantifies the amount of time during a resuscitation attempt that effective chest compressions are being performed. This measurement is crucial because higher compression fractions are associated with better outcomes in terms of survival rates.

During a cardiac arrest scenario, it is essential to maximize the duration of chest compressions while minimizing the interruptions for actions such as rescue breaths or checking for a pulse. The chest compression fraction can be expressed as a percentage, reflecting the total time spent delivering compressions compared to the total time of the resuscitation event.

Focusing on this metric helps rescuers understand how efficiently they are performing CPR and highlights the need to minimize any interruptions in the compressions, as every second counts in increasing the chance of a positive outcome.