Pause in CPR before shock reduces survival
When the heart suddenly stops beating, an event known as a cardiac arrest, the combination of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a shock from an automated external defibrillator offers an arrest victim the best chance of survival. If the cardiac arrest is seen by someone, and CPR is started right away, there's no need for mouth-to-mouth breathing. Doing this hands-only form of CPR means pushing hard on the chest about 100 times a minute without stopping.
One way to shorten the pause is for the person doing chest compressions to continue them while the defibrillator analyzes the cardiac arrest victim's heart rhythm. Defibrillators that charge faster and analyze the heart rhythm more rapidly will also help.
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