Is it possible to check the rhythm during compressions

If there are other people around, choose someone specific and instruct him to call and explain the situation. This decreases confusion about who should do what and ensures that the call is being placed.

Check the victim's respirations and airway. If someone has collapsed, you should immediately determine whether he or she is breathing. If the victim is breathing, you know that he has pulse. Locate an AED. Uninterrupted CPR is an important factor in increasing the recovery rate of cardiac arrest patients. Always ensure that someone is providing CPR for the victim unless the AED machine is actively analyzing or shocking the victim.

Attach the AED. Then bare the victim's chest and attach the adhesive AED pads in the appropriate locations. The AED should include a diagram typically on the adhesive pads themselves indicating where each pad goes. Always follow the instructions on the AED. Typically the negative pad is placed on the victim's right upper chest wall above the nipple and to the right-from the victim's perspective-of the sternum. View at: Google Scholar S.

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Irusta, S. Ruiz de Gauna, and T. Irusta, and E. S14—S15, Bisera, M. Fortunately, the answer is short and simple: Don't worry about it. Pacemakers have a different function, but the answer remains the same, continuous chest compressions should be performed.

It is important to recognize that someone in cardiac arrest is either dead or will be dead unless you intervene. The key message here is that you cannot do more damage. It is important to recognize that someone in cardiac arrest is dying or will soon be dead unless you intervene. Yes, if the person has had recent surgery, you might break the wires in their breast bone. However, the alternative is death.

The Good Samaritan law protects bystanders and their actions when they decide to help someone in an emergency. There is some form of the Good Samaritan Law in all states of the U. It does not matter whether you are certified or not but remember to always respect the patient. It is highly unlikely that chest compressions alone will result in recovery.

For unresponsiveness in young children age 8 or under , drowning cases, or drug overdoses, follow conventional CPR guidelines 30 chest compressions followed by two mouth-to-mouth ventilations.

This is because in infants or children, respiratory arrest is more common than primary cardiac arrest. To learn conventional CPR, a certification class is recommended. For more health information, please visit our Heart Health page.

If you appreciate the content found on our website, please consider a donation to the Sarver Heart Center. Both of these electrical states are incapable of producing sufficient blood flow. PEA is an organized electric rhythm that is characterized by an absence or insufficient mechanical ventricular activity to produce a detectable pulse.

Asystole is an absence of ventricular electrical activity with or without atrial electric activity. The chances of survival decrease as the delay of defibrillation in VF and pulseless VT increases.