CPR is an essential life-saving technique during emergencies like drowning, choking, and cardiac arrest. Whether you are a medical professional or a concerned citizen learning first aid, this information could be crucial to saving lives. Delivering quality CPR at the right time is crucial, but knowing when to stop is just as important. It’s essential to understand that stopping CPR can actually save a life by ensuring that your efforts are focused where they’re most needed. By being aware of the signs that indicate it’s time to stop, you can prevent unnecessary harm and help ensure that the person receives the best possible care.
The 5 situations when you do not perform CPR are:
- There Is a Valid DNR Order.
- There Is an “Obvious Death.”
- The Scene Is Unsafe for rescuer safety.
- Emergency Medical Responders Take Over Resuscitation Efforts.
- The Rescuer Is Physically Unable to continue effective chest compressions.
In this blog, you’ll learn about the key situations when you should stop performing CPR on a victim and how long CPR should be continued, all explained in simple detail.
5 Situations When You Do Not Perform CPR [In Detail]
When helping someone who is choking or has had a cardiac arrest, you might wonder, When should I stop doing CPR? It’s important to know the right times to pause or stop CPR to help the person safely and effectively. Sometimes, continuing CPR without stopping can be less helpful or even cause problems. By learning about important signs, like when the person starts breathing, when you get tired, or when the ambulance arrives, you can give better care and improve the chances that the person will survive.
Here are the 5 reasons to stop CPR:
1. Clear Indication of Death of Victim
If the victim shows signs of apparent death, it is clear that CPR is not practical. Here are some signs of death:
Cold Skin: If the person you touch is unconscious, it may be a sign that death has occurred. After death, the body’s metabolism stops functioning, and one of the apparent effects is a significant reduction in skin temperature. The body’s ability to generate heat is lost due to a lack of blood flow and metabolic activity, and the skin cools.
Rigor Mortis: Rigor mortis is the postmortem sign of death, where muscles stiffen and contract. Usually, it starts shortly after death and peaks 12 to 24 hours later. In some cases, CPR won’t work where rigor mortis is present. CPR would not improve the person’s condition since Rigor Mortis signifies that the body’s natural functions have stopped.
Livor mortis: Livor mortis, also known as postmortem lividity, where areas of pooled blood begin to take on a bruised-like discolouration. Gravity pushes the blood downward, making purple or bluish spots on the lower parts of the body.
If there are no signs of permanent livor mortis and the person is unconscious or not breathing, CPR may be required to restore circulation and respiration. In these cases, starting CPR right away could significantly affect the victim’s chances of survival.
2. If Victim Shows Signs Of Life
CPR can be stopped if the individual wakes up with spontaneous breathing, coughing, intentional movement, a noticeable heartbeat or other signs of life. It implies the victim’s body has somewhat recovered its functionality and reactivity and may not need extra CPR. The focus should be to move to guarantee the victim’s airway is clear, giving appropriate clinical consideration and support and maintaining stability until clinical help shows up. If you see signs of life in the victim, that’s when to stop CPR.
These are the obvious signs of life that a victim shows:
- Signs of Responsiveness
- Eye Movement
- Visible chest rise
- Audible signs of Breathing
- Purposeful movement
3. If Rescuers Experience Fatigue
It takes a lot of physical effort to perform high-quality CPR, especially for a long time. In fact, switching the rescuer’s position is one of its key components. Fatigue fundamentally affects the effectiveness of CPR and may diminish the probability of a successful revival. It may be essential to stop and let others take over if the rescuer or CPR team becomes tired and unable to perform adequate chest compressions or ventilation.
Rescuers’ weariness can be reduced by using an AED. Rescuers need to monitor their level of exhaustion and the effectiveness of their CPR. It’s vital to require the rescue team’s rotation when any indications of fatigue are seen. Delivering quality CPR and continuous CPR is necessary, including rescue breathing when appropriate. Stop CPR and let the next person perform CPR until you can gain back some energy and continue again.
Also read: How Can You Achieve a High Chest Compression Fraction?
4. On Arrival of Emergency Medical Service (EMS)
It would help if you didn’t stop giving CPR when the EMS (Emergency Medical Service) arrives because it takes time for them to set up the equipment and carefully check the victim’s health. Activation of emergency Services brings their advanced medical expertise, gear, and resources to offer the victim complete care.
The transition of care from the first rescuers to the EMS staff should be smooth and very much arranged. Clear communication is vital to guarantee that the EMS team gets appropriate data, remembering the length of CPR and any progressions in the casualty’s condition. During the victim’s transfer to the emergency clinic, EMS staff check their level of responsiveness. After the professionals are ready to take over, that’s when to stop CPR and let them handle the rest.
5. If the Scene Is/Becomes Unsafe
While performing CPR, you may sometimes become aware of potential dangers in the surrounding environment. In such situations, it’s important to move the person to a safer location if necessary, whether you’re at high altitude or on a normal surface, while minimizing interruptions to CPR as much as possible. Rescuers should prioritize both their own and others’ well-being first. If the scene presents a hazardous condition, they should quickly seek expert assistance, such as crisis clinical services or the relevant authorities.
Rescuers might need to hold on until regulatory police or specialists consider the site safe, assuming it is perilous because of continuous brutality or other serious dangers. It should be done when it is feasible to begin CPR without jeopardizing rescuers or victims. If you feel the situation is too dangerous for you, stop performing CPR and save yourself first.
Also read: What happens if I perform CPR incorrectly?
DNR as a Legal Reason to Avoid CPR
A Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order is a medical instruction that states CPR should not be performed if a patient’s heart stops. This order is usually requested in advance by the patient or their legal representative. During patient assessment, medical personnel may look for signs of a DNR, such as a bracelet, card, or official documents, to respect the individual’s end-of-life wishes.
The purpose of a DNR order is to respect the wishes of patients who do not want to undergo aggressive life-sustaining measures. A DNR declines CPR when the chances of survival rate are minimal or when the resulting quality of life would be significantly compromised, as it allows individuals to avoid unnecessary life-saving measures.
Also read: Can You Legally Refuse CPR in California?
Conclusion
Qualified medical care experts or trained responders ought to continuously accompany decisions regarding stopping CPR, considering each case’s particular conditions, including any medical directive the patient may have in place. If all else fails, it is always wiser to continue CPR until qualified professional assistance arrives. Until the clinical team shows up, follow all directions carefully. Remember, CPR is a lifesaving technique, and it is a vital intervention that can save lives, so stopping it should be done carefully. This includes knowing when to stop CPR and recognizing when you should stop performing CPR.
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Related post: 5 Importance of CPR
FAQs
Do you stop CPR when you get a pulse?
No, you do not stop CPR when you get a pulse. The heart may be beating too slowly or erratically to pump blood successfully. Until the heart can begin beating on its own, CPR helps to keep the blood flowing. When the person starts breathing alone or an emergency medical responder takes over, you should stop performing CPR.
Do you give CPR if the victim is still breathing?
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is generally unnecessary if a person is breathing. However, it is a vital medical technique that can save lives in emergency situations such as heart attacks or drowning, where the heartbeat or breathing has stopped. Immediate action is crucial in these situations, particularly to revive drowning individuals or victims of cardiac arrest.
Nonetheless, if you see somebody who knows and is breathing yet is uneasy, inquire whether they could require help, encourage them, and, in particular, be prepared to perform CPR if their condition becomes worse.
How often do you stop CPR to check for breathing and a pulse?
During CPR, check for breathing and also check for a pulse every two minutes. The automated external defibrillator (AED), if you’re using one, will signal you to stop CPR after two minutes so that it can examine the victim’s heartbeat. Following an analysis of the rhythm, the AED will advise you to continue performing CPR or shock the patient. It’s important to remember that these are only guiding principles.
What to do if someone is not breathing but has a pulse?
When someone is not breathing but has a pulse, they are experiencing cardiac arrest, and immediate help is needed. Request that somebody help you or dial crisis administrations. To ensure their airway is clear, you can delicately lay the cardiac arrest patients on their back on a hard surface while shifting their head back and raising their jawline.
What happens if you give CPR to someone who doesn’t need it?
Delivering CPR on someone who doesn’t need it isn’t worth it. If you give CPR to someone who doesn’t need it, they might experience discomfort in their body or might face injuries from chest compression.
Does unresponsive mean not breathing?
It’s not always the case that being unresponsive refers to not breathing. When a person is unresponsive, they are not conscious or responsive. However, even if someone is dead, they could still be alive. But if you notice someone unresponsive, call 911 immediately while you hold out for medical help. If a person is unresponsive and not breathing, they are said to be in cardiac arrest and ready to perform CPR.
Do you do CPR if someone is bleeding?
Controlling the bleeding and quickly obtaining medical emergency help should be the main priorities in cases of severe bleeding. At the point when somebody has heart failure or their breathing has stopped, CPR is used to provide life-saving measures. CPR is not required on the off chance that an individual is draining but is still breathing and has a heartbeat.
What happens if someone dies during CPR?
CPR isn’t generally successful, especially if it doesn’t start immediately. The law states that you won’t get into trouble if someone dies during CPR. The Good Samaritan law safeguards people who perform CPR when the rescuer applies their CPR preparation methods.
Related Post: What to do When CPR Fails?
Do you stop CPR when you get a pulse?
The decision to stop CPR should be taken carefully, and the patient’s heartbeat must be monitored consistently. It might be necessary to keep doing CPR until clinical consideration comes if the victim’s heartbeat is powerless or, on the other hand, on the off chance that they are not breathing as expected.
