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Cardiac arrest
Heel-of-foot compressions beat ball-of-foot
Effect of Orientation and Contact Area on Leg-Foot Chest Compression Quality: A Simulation Study
Resuscitation Plus · 2026-10 · Added 17 October 2026
A manikin study of leg-delivered chest compressions found the heel-of-foot technique achieved deeper and more often guideline-adequate compressions than the ball of the foot, with foot orientation making no difference.
- Study type
- Simulation
- Design
- 2×2 mixed-design simulation study
- Participants
- 80 healthcare professionals
- Main finding
- Heel technique gave greater mean depth (54.2 vs 51.6 mm) and more adequate-depth compressions (81.8% vs 72.7%); rate, recoil and exertion were comparable and orientation didn't matter.
- Caveat
- Manikin study with healthcare professionals — no clinical outcomes and untested on real arrests.
- Bottom line
- Hypothesis-generating
Why it matters in Australia (High relevance). CPR quality standards are identical across Australian services, so any alternative technique for exhausted or position-limited rescuers is worth knowing about.
Learning goal
Weigh the heel-of-foot technique for delivering chest compressions when limited rescuer access restricts standard compressions.
More
- Topic: Cardiac arrest
- Daily scan: 17 October 2026
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