Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Health and Science University is teaming up with local EMT’s and medical facilities for a new study on the best way to treat people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

Ninety-five out of a hundred victims of sudden cardiac arrest die -- even after receiving medical attention.

Dr. Mohamud Daya at OHSU in Portland wants to improve those odds.

Daya says there are currently two ways to treat cardiac arrest victims -- a short treatment of CPR followed by a shock from a defibrillator or more extensive CPR followed by a shock.

Mohamud Daya: “What we’re going to do is compare those two strategies -- 30 seconds versus three minutes -- and see which one seems to produce the better outcome so that we can at least standardize on how much CPR we should do before we analyze and potentially shock a heart.”

The study also involves a facemask device that may help increase blood flow back to the heart during CPR decompression.

Most cardiac arrest victims in the Portland-metro area will automatically be part of the study.  To opt out, a victim needs to be wearing a special bracelet.