- Continued until advance cardiac life support is available
- Two mechanisms responsible for blood flow during CPR
Direct compression of heart between sternum and spine, which increases pressure within ventricles to provide small, but critical amount of blood flow to lungs and body organs.
Increased intrathoracic pressure transmitted to all inrathoracic vascular structures, which creates an intrathoracic-to-extrathoracic pressure gradient, causing blood to flow out of thorax
Number of mechanical devices provide external chest compression, others provide chest compression with ventilation in cardiac arrest patient