Facts, Legends and Myths on the Evolution of Resuscitation

This study aimed to overview in chronological order a number of "facts" and "myths" that have been reported in the literature on the history of resuscitation. In particular, this review presents remarkable resuscitation attempts, innovative techniques and landmarked events that enhanced resuscitation in terms of science, history and intervention from ancient times until today. The resuscitation methods were designed for victims needing help in various locations of three-dimensional space, with emphasis on those occurring on, or brought to, land. These methods required single or double rescues to be carried out. Some of them were either empirically or scientifically designed. In some techniques, the stimuli used to revive the victim were rather painful and dangerous or at least disturbing. In some techniques, respiration was attempted with various more or less sophisticated devices. Finally, a small number of cases have been mistakenly reported by previous scholars as resuscitation attempts.