Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Low bone mineral density increases the risk of multiple rib and sternal fractures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Authors' conclusion
The study identified a statistically significant correlation between low BMD and a higher number of rib and sternal fractures after CPR. Further, in cases with normal BMD, the use of mechanical CC increased the frequency of rib and sternal fractures.
Study context
- Population
- Cases referred for medicolegal autopsy who had received antemortem cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Exposure
- Low bone mineral density (BMD) vs normal BMD; Chest compression (CC) modalities
- Outcome
- Frequency and number of rib and sternal fractures (fracture count) after CPR
Methodological detailsforensic autopsy population, postmortem CT
- Forensic autopsy population
- Postmortem CT
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Rib and sternal fracture count, by BMD
Fracture count (FC)-ratio
1.3
CI 1.0–1.6
BMD-osteopenia
FC-ratio
1.4
CI 1.0–1.9
BMD-osteoporotic
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Rib and sternal fractures, by CC modality | Bystander 43 % · FC-mean 5.3 (3.1-9.3) · Other CC-modality 76 % · FC-mean 7.2 (5.3-9.7) | |
| Frequency of rib and sternal fractures, normal BMD (subgroup)Manual + Mechanical vs Manual · Fisher's Exact Test | Manual 63.3 % · Manual + Mechanical 88.0 % | 0.021 |
- Rib and sternal fractures, by CC modality: other CC-modality: at least 76 % and 7.2
Rib and sternal fractures, by CC modality
- In general, frequency and number of fractures the same across CC-modalities; tendency towards lowest with bystander CC
Original publication
Low bone mineral density increases the risk of multiple rib and sternal fractures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Resuscitation. Published 30 December 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →