12/10/2026
The guideline hand position for CPR is based on external landmarks. But what sits underneath?
New research in Resuscitation used point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to find the ideal area of maximal compression, the point over the widest part of the left ventricle. In 152 stable adults, it sat a median 4 cm left of the sternum, while the left ventricular outflow tract sat a median 1.5 cm from it.
The authors see it as foundational work: a single-centre study in people who weren't in cardiac arrest, suggesting compression position relative to the heart may be an under-recognised factor in CPR.
They're clear it isn't enough on its own to change current guidance, but suggest that with further research, findings like these may support reconsidering it.
The study used both linear and phased array imaging, the two transducer types the Clarius PAL HD3 combines in one wireless, pocket-sized scanner.
Find out more: https://hubs.li/Q04zsdvr0
Read the study: https://hubs.li/Q04zsdyf0