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 < 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.