Cardiac massage

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Give a smart blow to the chest with the first and elevate both legs to 90⁰for 15 seconds. If the heart does not start beating immediately, as indicated by the return of the carotid or femoral pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be started. Hence it is essential that an electrocardiogram should be taken to establish the cause of the arrest. If ventricular fibrillation is present it must be corrected by means of an electric defibrillating machine which is effective when applied externally to the chest wall. As a result ventricular fibrillation is changed to ventricular systole and in a proportion of cases the heart will start beating again either spontaneously or after a short period of continued closed-chest cardiac massage. Form what has been said it is obvious that before a precise diagnosis of the type of cardiac arrest can be made, and before effective action can be taken to get the heart beating again closed chest cardiac massage and artificial respiration may have to be continued in the home, the ambulance or the hospital ward for a period which may last for an hour or more.