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Since 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have recommended against routine pulse checks during CPR. More than a decade has elapsed since this time, yet many people are continuing to perform pulse checks every couple of minutes during CPR. In this episode, and in this ACEPnow article , we discuss the literature around this.
Neumar RW et al. Part 8: adult advanced cardiovascular life support: 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care . Circulation. 2010 Nov 2;122(18 Suppl 3):S729-67. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.970988. PMID: 20956224. Dick WF, Eberle B, Wisser G, Schneider T. The carotid pulse check revisited: What if there is no pulse? Crit Care Med . 2000;28(11 Suppl):N183–5. Tibballs J, Russell P. Reliability of pulse palpation by healthcare personnel to diagnose paediatric cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2009 Jan;80(1):61-4. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2008.10.002. Epub 2008 Nov 6. PMID: 18992985. Cummins RO, Hazinski MF. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques and instruction: When does evidence justify revision? Ann Emerg Med . 1999;34(6):780–784.
