How to Perform CPR on a Person With a Pacemaker

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, usually referred to as CPR, is a life-saving skill that can be used to provide aid when a person’s heart has stopped and they’re not breathing. The skill can, and should be, used on people with or without pacemakers.

Features

CPR comes into play in cases of sudden cardiac arrest, meaning a person’s heart as well as breathing have stopped. With every minute that passes the chances of their being revived are diminished. Someone doing CPR is manually pushing blood through a victim’s system and providing some level of oxygenation.

Types

CPR Vs. Rescue Breathing

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No matter what organization provides the training, CPR skills are the same. A rescuer provides two breaths to the victim and compresses their chest 30 times at a rate of 100 per minute. Most CPR courses also teach the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, which is used to shock a heart back into beating, according to the Mayoclinic.com.

Considerations

CPR is the same on a person with a pacemaker as it is without a pacemaker. A bystander provides compressions and breaths until the victim begins breathing on their own or trained help arrives. However, it’s the use of an AED on a victim with a pacemaker that requires some minor changes.

Significance

10 Steps to CPR

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Using an AED is simple, and most of the devices provide step-by-step audible instructions. The unit is turned on, and two electrode pads are applied to the victim. One goes on the lower torso. The other is placed on the top of the chest, usually the right side. But, if there’s a pacemaker visible, the top pad should be placed an inch or more away from the pacemaker.

Identification

Pacemakers are identified in a victim by a small rectangular bump located just under the skin on the right side, usually no bigger than the size of a deck of cards. According to pacemaker maker Boston Scientific, a rescuer should put the AED pads as far away from the device as possible. The American Heart Association also recommends those with implanted pacemakers carry some medical identification either in a wallet or on a bracelet or necklace letting rescuers know the device is there 2.