Determining the pulse for infant CPR: time for a change?
The accepted standard for determining cardiac arrest in infants is the use of palpation of the brachial pulse to detect pulselessness. The investigators have observed that CPR-certified individuals have difficulty locating the brachial pulse in infants. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a more effective way exists for assessing the pulse in an infant. Of the 102 subjects tested, 84 correctly assessed the apical pulse by placing a naked ear against the chest wall, whereas only 48 correctly palpated the brachial pulse. The study results demonstrated that there was a statistically significant (p less than 0.001) difference between the two methods for assessing pulses in infants. This indicates that the apical pulse method is a faster and more accurate method for locating the pulse in an infant, and should be used during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Lee
C J
CJ
943rd Tactical Clinic, March Air Force Base, CA 92518-5000.
Bullock
L J
LJ
D001314:Auscultation / Q000379:methods*; D001916:Brachial Artery; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010173:Palpation / Q000379:methods*; D011674:Pulse; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors