Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR, is a crucial emergency procedure that can save lives when someone’s heart stops beating. It involves chest compressions and rescue breaths to keep oxygen flowing to the body’s vital organs until medical help arrives. But did you know that checking the pulse during CPR is just as important?
According to a 2022 study by the Cardiovascular Institute of the South, only 1 in 20 people know CPR. But what about the rest of the 19 people? It’s really important to have the right knowledge of performing CRP. When performing CPR, assessing the pulse helps rescuers determine if the heart is still beating and if CPR is necessary. It guides them in delivering effective chest compressions at the right pace and depth.
However, mastering the art of pulse checking isn’t as simple as it sounds. It requires proper technique and practice to ensure accuracy, especially in high-stress situations.
This article will discuss the importance of pulse check while doing CPR, and cover techniques that one can use to correctly carry out this procedure. We will also provide you with advice on improving your skills of how to check pulse.
Understanding the basics of CPR
CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is an emergency life-saving procedure performed when someone’s heart stops beating (cardiac arrest) or when they stop breathing. CPR combines chest compressions with rescue breaths to manually keep oxygen circulating in the body until medical help arrives.
The chest compressions help pump oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain and other vital organs, while the rescue breaths deliver oxygen into the person’s lungs, replenishing oxygen levels in the blood.
CPR is really important because it helps keep blood moving and oxygen going to the important parts of our body. This can make a big difference in whether someone survives until doctors can help more. It’s something everyone should learn because anyone, even people who aren’t medical experts, can do CPR in different emergencies like when someone has a heart attack, is drowning, or can’t breathe. That’s why getting a CPR first aid certification is a good idea. It gives you the skills to help in simple or serious situations.
Significance of Pulse Check in CPR
Checking for a pulse during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) plays a crucial role in assessing the patient’s condition. Here’s why it matters:
- Early Detection of Irregularities: A pulse check provides a snapshot of how efficiently the heart is pumping blood. Detecting irregularities early can help identify potential heart function abnormalities.
- Balancing Priorities: While checking for a pulse is important, it should not take priority over chest compressions. The emphasis during CPR is on chest compressions to regularize the heartbeat before professional help arrives. Stopping compressions to check for a pulse may compromise the chance to save a life.
Remember, if you’re well-trained and confident, check for a pulse and breathing. If there’s no pulse or breathing within 10 seconds, begin chest compressions—30 compressions followed by two rescue breaths.
Proper Technique for Pulse Check During CPR
Performing a pulse check during CPR is crucial to assess the effectiveness of chest compressions and to determine if the victim has a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Here’s the proper technique:
1. Ensure Scene Safety
Before doing anything, ensure the area is safe for you and the person you’re helping. Check for hazards like traffic or dangerous substances. If it’s risky, move to safety or call for help.
Once it’s secure, you can start assisting the person in need. This step keeps you both safe and allows you to focus on providing effective aid.
2. Assess Responsiveness
If the person doesn’t respond when you tap them or call out loudly, they’re unconscious. This step helps ensure their safety and prompts you to start CPR if needed. It’s crucial because an unresponsive person may need immediate help, and CPR can be life-saving in such situations.
So, by quickly assessing responsiveness, you can take appropriate action to provide the necessary assistance and potentially save a life.
3. Open Airway
When you’re helping someone during CPR, gently tilt their head back. This helps their airway stay open so they can breathe better.
By doing this, you make it easier for air to get into their lungs. It’s important because it prevents anything from blocking their airway and lets oxygen reach their lungs. This way, you’re giving them a better chance of getting enough oxygen to stay alive.
4. Check Breathing
To check if someone is breathing during CPR, you look, listen, and feel for any signs of breath. Get close to their mouth and nose, watch for their chest to rise, and feel for air on your cheek.
Do this quickly, not taking more than 10 seconds. If you notice no breathing or just gasping, start chest compressions right away. This helps to keep oxygen circulating in their body until more help arrives.
5. Begin Chest Compressions
If the victim is not breathing or is only gasping, start chest compressions immediately. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the victim’s chest (between the nipples) and place your other hand on top. Lock your elbows and position your shoulders directly over your hands.
Press down hard and fast, at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) deep and at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
6. Pause Compression for Pulse Check
After around 2 minutes of chest compressions, briefly stop to feel for a pulse on the victim’s neck. Use your index and middle fingers, avoiding the thumb.
Press gently on the side of the neck to locate the carotid artery. Do this for no more than 10 seconds. If you feel a pulse, pause compressions but keep monitoring breathing. If no pulse is felt, resume compressions immediately.
Hence how to check pulse on neck helps determine if circulation is returning, guiding your CPR efforts effectively.
7. Find Pulse
To check for a pulse, place your index and middle fingers on the side of the victim’s neck, beside Adam’s apple.
Press gently but firmly, avoiding use of your thumb. If you feel a rhythmic pulsation within 10 seconds, stop chest compressions but keep monitoring their breathing and pulse. This pulse check helps determine if the chest compressions are effective in circulating blood.
If no pulse is felt, resume chest compressions immediately to maintain circulation until medical help arrives.
8. Assess Pulse
If you feel a pulse in the victim’s neck within 10 seconds, stop chest compressions but keep checking their breathing and pulse until help arrives. If there’s no pulse, resume chest compressions immediately.
This step is crucial as it tells you whether the victim’s heart has started beating again. If there’s a pulse, it means their heart is pumping blood, so chest compressions are not needed.
Keep monitoring the victim’s condition for any changes while waiting for medical assistance.
How Often Do You Check For A Pulse During CPR
During CPR, it’s essential to focus on chest compressions rather than frequent pulse checks. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends checking the pulse every 2 minutes. Consistency in chest compressions is crucial until professional help arrives or an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is used. Remember, timely and accurate CPR can save lives.
Handling Challenges of Pulse During CPR
According to the CPR guidelines, laypersons who aren’t trained in CPR shouldn’t check for a pulse if someone has collapsed, is unresponsive, and isn’t breathing normally. Instead, they should start CPR immediately. This is because checking for a pulse is often inaccurate and can delay the start of chest compressions.
When performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), assessing the pulse can be a critical step. Here are some guidelines to consider:
- Focus on Chest Compressions: The primary emphasis during CPR is on chest compressions. Effective chest compressions help regularize the heartbeat and improve blood flow. Stopping compressions to check for a pulse may compromise the chance of saving the person’s life.
- When to Check the Pulse: If the patient is unresponsive and not even gasping, you can rely on the carotid pulse. Also, check if the patient is visibly breathing. Do not take more than 10 seconds to check the pulse when the patient is unresponsive.
Remember that the urgency of an effective response to cardiorespiratory arrest is crucial. While checking for a pulse is important, it should not delay or interrupt chest compressions, which take priority during CPR. Rescuers should start CPR as soon as possible without trying to check for a pulse, as the risk of not doing chest compressions when needed is much higher than the risk of doing them on a person not in cardiac arrest.
Conclusion
Checking the pulse during CPR is super important for helping someone in trouble. It tells us if we need to do CPR and helps us do the chest pushes just right. Remembering how crucial pulse checks are and practicing the right way can really help save lives when someone’s heart stops. Let’s keep learning about pulse checks and practicing CPR techniques. With this knowledge, we can be ready to help out in emergencies and make a big difference in our communities by acting fast and smart when people need it most.
