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Space

How-to guide for CPR in space may help treat astronaut cardiac arrest

By Abigail Beall

13 November 2020

cpr in zero gravity

Simulating a medical emergency on an aircraft in microgravity

Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Nobody has experienced cardiac arrest in space, yet. But with plans to send humans back to the moon within a few years and on missions to Mars down the line, the chances are it will happen at some point.

A new study led by Jochen Hinkelbein at the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany provides the most comprehensive guidelines yet on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in space.

“This is a critical work on a medical emergency that mercifully has not occurred yet during space flight,” says…

Article amended on 17 November 2020

We clarified the nature of the potential medical emergency in space

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