-
- Academic Editors
-
-
-
Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a major rescue
measure for cardiac arrest (CA) patients, and chest compression is the key to
CPR. The Thumper device was designed to facilitate manual compression during CPR.
However, current randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide controversial
findings on the efficacy of the Thumper device. Objectives: This
meta-analysis aimed to compare the clinical benefits of using the Thumper device
with manual chest compressions during the provision of CPR for patients in CA.
Methods: Relevant studies were retrieved from various databases,
including Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CNKI, and by
manually searching the reference lists of research and review articles. All RCTs
published in either English or Chinese until June 31, 2020, were included in the
meta-analysis. The odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%
CIs) for the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival rate (SR), and
the incidence of rib fractures (RFs) were compared between the manual and Thumper
chest compressions. Results: A total of 2164 records were identified, of
which 16 were RCTs with an overall risk of bias ranging from low to medium
classification. Following CPR, the odds ratios for ROSC, SR, and RF were
significantly better for the Thumper chest compression with ORs of 2.56 (95% CI
2.11–3.11, I