Feasibility of video-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation when the lay responder is alone with the victim: a randomized controlled crossover pilot study

Video-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (V-CPR) can improve the quality of bystander-performed CPR; however, its applicability has not been explored in situations where the lay responder is alone with the victim. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of V-CPR in such scenarios. A randomized controlled crossover simulation study was conducted with 10 lay responders in two settings: a residential living room and a yard. Participants used available household objects to position a smartphone for a live video call with a dispatcher. The study evaluated (1) camera placement and perspective, (2) camera placement time, and (3) video quality and CPR assessability, based on assessors evaluations. No participant failed to establish a usable camera view. The average placement time was 23.4 s indoors and 34.0 s outdoors (p = 0.075). Based on five assessors, hand position and compression rate were highly assessable (86% and 84%), while compression depth was correctly assessed in only 32%. Although V-CPR quality varied between environments, the method proved feasible even when responders acted alone. Further studies are needed to compare the results with commercial V-CPR, optimize camera positioning, reduce delays, and evaluate outcomes using standardized dispatcher protocols. This study was retrospectively registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06794398, 01/27/2025).