Dr. Murray's CPR Technique Explained by Attorney

The 911 call for Michael Jackson revealed that the singer's hired physician, Conrad Murray, performed CPR (ie, chest compressions) on a bed. Because anybody who's familiar with CPR knows that the procedure should be performed on a hard flat surface (so that chest compressions can be effective), the doctor's resuscitation technique has been called into question.

Now Murray's criminal defense lawyer, Edward Chernoff, offers at least 2 explanations to "Good Morning America" for why the doctor performed chest compressions on a bed. Neither explanation is particularly satisfying. The first is that the bed was "firm," ostensibly serving as a hard, flat surface. The second is that Murray "braced Michael Jackson's back with his hand and compressed his chest with his other hand." This explanation obviously begs the question: If the bed was sufficiently firm, then why was it necessary to brace Jackson's back?

Chernoff goes on to state that Murray checked to determine that his compressions were producing "blood flow." In CPR, typically a second party will determine, by assessing the pulse (eg, the femoral pulse), if chest compressions are mechanically pumping the heart. This assessment can only be done, of course, while chest compressions are being administered. So if Murray was performing CPR with 2 hands, it'd be impossible for him to assess (by himself) the effectiveness of his compressions without an additional hand or two.

Then Chernoff relates that Murray, at some point, moved Jackson off the bed and continued CPR. At what time this action was performed is unknown; it logically took place after the 911 call. But, if Murray believed that his CPR technique was effective on the bed, then why did he later move Jackson onto the floor?

Last, Chernoff states that "it [Murray's CPR] went on for 25, 30 minutes"—suggesting that Murray attempted to revive Jackson on his own for quite some time, before attempting to call 911.

CPR = cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 

N.B.—Chernoff denies that Murray ever administered Demerol to Jackson. He states to GMA, "I can't go into any specifics about drugs that Michael Jackson might have taken the night before, by agreement. I can tell you this: Whatever was taken by Michael Jackson at any time wouldn't have caused his death."