Health - Better CPR a heartbeat away?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) could get a beneficial jolt because of an ORNL study that has produced some startling results. Researchers found that the direction and magnitude of the flow depends upon the frequency of the forcing function. During CPR, it's not known whether the heart acts as a pump or as a passive conduit for valveless pumping. This research, which uses computational fluid dynamics, could help scientists and the medical profession better understand the mechanism of blood flow during CPR. That knowledge could lead to the development of more effective CPR techniques.