AED having mandatory pause for administrating CPR
A system and method are described for delivering electrotherapy to a patient that includes delivering electrotherapy to defibrillate the patient and providing at least one non-interruptible time period for administration of CPR prior to entering a monitor mode during which a patient cardiac signal is monitored for indication of a shockable rhythm.
1. A method for providing electrotherapy, comprising:
analyzing a cardiac signal for a shockable rhythm;
delivering electrotherapy from a high-voltage energy source if a shockable rhythm exists;
pausing for a non-interruptible CPR period after analyzing the cardiac signal;
precharging the high-voltage energy source during the non-interruptible CPR period;
after the pausing step, re-analyzing the cardiac signal for a shockable rhythm; and
after the re-analyzing step, monitoring the cardiac signal without precharging the high-voltage energy source, the monitoring step being interruptible.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein pausing for a non-interruptible CPR period is preceded by a determination that no shock is advised, and monitoring the cardiac signal is preceded by a second determination that no shock is advised.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein pausing for the non-interruptible CPR period occurs in response to a first determination that a shockable rhythm does not exist and wherein monitoring the cardiac signal occurs in response to a second consecutive determination that a shockable rhythm does not exist.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising discharging the high-voltage energy source in response to not detecting a shockable rhythm from re-analyzing the cardiac signal.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the cardiac signal in response to a determination that a shockable rhythm does not exist and a heart rate in excess of a predetermined value is identified, and pausing for a non-interruptible CPR period in response to a determination that a shockable rhythm does not exist and a heart rate less than the predetermined value is identified.