What does a low chest compression fraction indicate?

A low chest compression fraction indicates potential problems with resuscitation efforts because it reflects a situation where chest compressions are not being performed frequently enough during the overall resuscitation attempt. The chest compression fraction is the proportion of time during a resuscitation event that effective chest compressions are being delivered compared to the total elapsed time. A low fraction suggests that compressions are interrupted frequently, which can hinder the effectiveness of CPR.

In cases where the chest compression fraction is low, it can signify issues such as inadequate teamwork, poor organization during CPR, or excessive interruptions for other interventions. Effective CPR relies on maintaining high-quality compressions with minimal interruptions, so monitoring the chest compression fraction is critical for evaluating the quality of the resuscitation efforts and ultimately improving patient outcomes.