Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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General product and regulatory information only; this page is not medical advice and does not describe how to perform resuscitation. Follow your organization’s protocols and current resuscitation training.
Short answer
A CPR board is a rigid board placed under a patient to give support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In the United States it is a Class I device, product code FOA, under 21 CFR 880.6080. A 2024 ILCOR systematic review of manikin trials found that adding a backboard changed chest compression depth by only about 2 mm.
Definition and scope
The FDA regulation 21 CFR 880.6080 defines a cardiopulmonary resuscitation board as “a device consisting of a rigid board which is placed under a patient to act as a support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.” The same section sets the regulatory status:
- Class I (general controls).
- Exempt from premarket notification (510(k)), subject to the limits in 21 CFR 880.9.
- Exempt from the quality system regulation in 21 CFR Part 820, except for the records and complaint-file requirements of 820.35.
FDA’s classification database lists the device name as “Board, Cardiopulmonary” under product code FOA, in the General Hospital review panel (HO). The same record flags it as not life-sustaining or life-supporting and not an implant, and as exempt from GMP requirements. It sits in Part 880 (General Hospital and Personal Use Devices), Subpart G, miscellaneous devices.
How it is used in practice
The regulation describes the board only as a rigid support under the patient. The clinical reason a firm surface matters is that chest compressions on a soft surface compress the surface as well as the chest: in manikin studies, up to 57% of the compression force may be absorbed by a mattress, according to the 2024 ILCOR review (Dewan et al., Resuscitation Plus 19, 100718).
In 2020 ILCOR recommended performing chest compressions on a firm surface when possible. That was a weak recommendation based on very low-certainty evidence. The 2024 update examined whether a backboard, the floor or another firm surface changes compression depth. Placement and handling technique belong to resuscitation training and local protocol, and are outside the scope of this page.
What the evidence shows: backboard, floor and firm mattress
The table below uses only figures reported in the 2024 ILCOR systematic review and meta-analysis. All 17 included studies (6 new, 11 from the 2020 review) were manikin randomised trials, and no clinical studies were included. Certainty of evidence was low.
| Comparison | Reported result | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Backboard versus no backboard | About a 2 mm increase in chest compression depth | Small gain, manikin trials only |
| Floor versus firm hospital mattress | Mean difference 5.36 mm (95% CI -1.59 to 12.32) | Not statistically significant |
| Floor versus firm home mattress | Mean difference 2.11 mm (95% CI -3.23 to 7.45) | Not statistically significant |
The authors conclude that CPR depth is sub-optimal on all surfaces and that using the floor or a backboard had minimal impact on achieving greater depth, with every mean difference under 10 mm.
Two further findings from the same review are relevant to anyone deciding where a board fits in a response plan. First, the authors note that inserting backboards, switching a bed to CPR mode or moving a patient to the floor may delay the start of CPR or put the provider at risk. Second, high-compliance matting, even with a backboard, produced lower compression rate and depth than the floor, and the effect on rescuer exertion needs further study.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
For anyone maintaining emergency equipment, the regulatory facts above answer the compliance questions. A CPR board is a Class I, 510(k)-exempt device, so a listing does not rest on a premarket clearance number. The evidence facts answer a different question: a board is one item in an emergency kit whose measured effect on compression depth is small.
The board appears as an item in emergency-equipment lists. Our guide to what a crash cart is lists a backboard or CPR board among typical cart contents, and the checklists for a dental office medical emergency kit and for a hotel first aid station cover related emergency supplies. What a given facility must stock is set by its own regulator, accreditor and medical director, not by 21 CFR 880.6080.
Common misunderstandings
Does a CPR board make compressions deep enough?
No. In the pooled trials a backboard added about 2 mm, and the authors describe compression depth as sub-optimal on all surfaces studied.
Is a CPR board required by federal regulation?
The regulation 21 CFR 880.6080 defines and classifies the device. It does not say who must stock one. Stocking requirements come from other bodies, such as state rules, accreditors and facility policy.
Is the evidence from real patients?
Not in this review. Every included study used a manikin, and the authors call for clinical studies.
FAQ
What is a CPR board?
A rigid board placed under a patient to support them during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as defined in 21 CFR 880.6080.
What FDA class is a CPR board?
Class I, product code FOA (“Board, Cardiopulmonary”), exempt from 510(k) premarket notification.
Does a backboard improve chest compression depth?
In pooled manikin trials it produced a small increase of about 2 mm. The certainty of the evidence was low.
Is the floor better than a firm mattress for CPR?
The pooled differences (5.36 mm against a firm hospital mattress, 2.11 mm against a firm home mattress) were not statistically significant.
Sources
- 21 CFR 880.6080, cardiopulmonary resuscitation board. Legal Information Institute, law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.6080. Date checked: 2026-10-31.
- FDA device classification database (openFDA), product code FOA, api.fda.gov. Date checked: 2026-10-31.
- Dewan M, et al. The optimal surface for delivery of CPR: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Resuscitation Plus 19 (2024) 100718, ILCOR BLS Task Force, doi.org/10.1016/j.resplu.2024.100718. Date checked: 2026-10-31.
