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Cardiac arrest

Best height for standing compressions

Standing chest compressions: simulation-based development and evaluation of a clinically applicable height adjustment approach
Resuscitation Plus · Added 17 September 2026

Simulation study with 30 participants compressing at seven working heights found knee-height bed or stretcher position gave the best compressions (52.7 mm mean depth, 80.6% correct depth), with positions 15–20 cm above knee height significantly worse.

Study type

Simulation

Design

Prospective simulation study of chest compression quality at seven working heights

Participants

30 participants (10 healthcare professionals, 20 medical students)

Main finding

Knee-height bed/stretcher gave best compressions (mean depth 52.7 mm, 80.6% correct depth); heights 15–20 cm above knee height gave significantly lower compression depth; no difference between knee height, kneeling and lowest stretcher height.

Caveat

Simulation with manikins and no experienced-only paramedic cohort; compression quality may not translate to real resuscitations.

Bottom line

Hypothesis-generating

Learning goal

Strengthen my judgement on how stretcher height affects chest compression quality during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation.

More

• Topic: Cardiac arrest
• Daily scan: 17 September 2026

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