Knickerbocker, assistant in surgery, who conducted studies on defibrillation in dogs, found that placement of electrodes alone caused an increase in femoral arterial pressure. This observation made the idea that the circulation could be maintained artificially with cardiac massage.
It was a revolutionary discovery: no need to “open the chest” for a direct cardiac massage! Be wrote in the article of 1960, “… anyone and everywhere can initiate resuscitation procedures. We need two hands. ”
Two hands can save life!
See more here:
Kouwenhoven WB, Jude JR, Knickerbocker GG. Closed-chest cardiac massage. JAMA, 1960; 173, 1064-1067
Eisenberg MS, Psaty BM. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Celebration and challenges. JAMA 2010; 304, 87-88