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Original poster

If someone has no pulse, how long should they be worked on for to get it back ??

45 replies

nutcracker · 02/11/2006 19:10

Say for example someone was found in a bath with no pulse (in a hospital), and they weren't sure how long they had been there for, how long do they work for to get a pulse back ??

OP posts:
Californifirework · 02/11/2006 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whoopsfallenoveragain · 02/11/2006 19:12

What an odd question! Would they actually do anything though if they were in hospital?
and would it depend on their background?

ledodgyfireworksingedmyeyebrow · 02/11/2006 19:14

probably not much longer than it took you to write this post. I hope you have no one without a pulse in your bath!

lulumama · 02/11/2006 19:14

would depend on so many variables i would imagine.....impossible to answer......

why?

liath · 02/11/2006 19:16

Depends on lots of things - how old they are, background level of health, how long they'd been there without a pulse.

Original poster
nutcracker · 02/11/2006 19:18

My mum works on a maternity ward and a woman was found grey and without a pulse in the bath the other night, she'd had a section 3 days earlier.

They worked on her for 20 minutes until they got a pulse back. She is in ITU and not good, keeps fitting. My mum said in her opinion they should have stopped sooner.

OP posts:
Original poster
nutcracker · 02/11/2006 19:18

They don't know how long she'd been there but the water was almost cold apparently.

OP posts:
ledodgyfireworksingedmyeyebrow · 02/11/2006 19:18
Sad
Yorkiegirl · 02/11/2006 19:19

Message withdrawn

Yorkiegirl · 02/11/2006 19:19

Message withdrawn

lulumama · 02/11/2006 19:20

nutcracker...... how terrible.........

Original poster
nutcracker · 02/11/2006 19:20

I thought there was a general rule about how long thats all.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 02/11/2006 19:21

It's difficult for medics to know when to "give up". I doubt there's an official policy for these things, and of course it varies (what else is wrong with the patient? are they cold? etc etc)

Original poster
nutcracker · 02/11/2006 19:21

It is an awful situation and one which it seems they could not cope with. The midwife in charge screamed alot and then knelt in the corner praying.

Apparently the outlook for the woman is very poor

OP posts:
iPodthereforiPoor · 02/11/2006 19:29

When I was a student OT I worked on a neuro ward who was resucitated post arrest. He was left with very severe brain dmage - totally unable to live independently, required secure, 24hr supervision. I'm not sure, if he was my dad, I would have wanted him to have been worked on after being anoxic for so long.

I think after a certain amount of time with no oxygen perhaps resus should not be attempted - but there are always exceptions to the rule and people with similar clinical picture may react and recover differently.

Thoughts with the medical team and her family for what they have, and will be going through.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 02/11/2006 19:33

Oh how

It depends on various factors I think though.

ie what else is going on with them medically, ie other injuries or complications such as blood loss from an accident etc, how long they may have been without oxygen - if known.

tissy · 02/11/2006 19:42

If the patient is hypothermic you're supposed to work on them till they reach a "normal" temperature. "You're not dead till you're warm and dead"- applies to people who fall into ice cold water, for example, as the cold can have a preserving effect on the brain and other organs.

I think 20 mins- 40mins in a hospital is pretty much the norm. If you don't have some kind of pulse by then, you probably won't get one.

missymoosal · 02/11/2006 19:46

In these cirumstances everything possible would be done unless the pupils are fixed and dilated.
There is no hard and fast rule about how long a resus takes I have been involved where someone comes in from the community still having active resus with the ambulance crew and we pronounce them dead.
There is always a team involved with a leader who coordinates it. All members of a resus team have to agree that the resus be stopped.
Her prognosis sounds very poor as her 'down time' ie without a pulse probably means she has severe brain damage the fact she is fitting would indicate that picture.
The fact that she was a young mother would certainly influence the length of time they tried for.
How terribly tragic

FreakyFloss · 02/11/2006 19:46

Totally depends on the person leading the crash call and the members of the team. They will do several cycles of treatment and try new things. It is often obvious when the outcome will not be good - for young people (especially a new mum ) they are going to keep on trying.

SherlockLGJ · 02/11/2006 19:54

I could probably guess what she "died" from, it nearly killed me, and the MW's did not have a clue what they were dealing with.

They do now, after we threatened to sue them if they did not put measures in place.

whoopsfallenoveragain · 02/11/2006 19:57

What a terrible thing to happen.

FreakyFloss · 02/11/2006 19:59

Sherlock, you seem to be reliving things a bit I've noticed. Probably speaking out of turn so just tell me to shut eeet but - are you ok??

EmmyLou · 02/11/2006 20:02

How very sad.

Beauregard · 02/11/2006 20:06
Sad
WaitingForGodKnows · 02/11/2006 20:09

Sherlock, absolutely no offence intended but how can you possibly have a clue what this poor woman died of?

(fwiw, I agree with floss - hope you are okay because some of your recent posts give the impression that you aren't)

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