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How to Use an AED on a Pregnant Woman

Can you use an AED on a pregnant woman?

Yes, an AED can be used on a pregnant woman. In fact, using an AED on a pregnant woman in cardiac arrest is crucial for increasing the chances of survival for both the mother and the fetus. The following steps outline how to accomplish this:

  1. Call 911 and clearly inform them the patient is pregnant.
  2. Begin CPR: Lay the woman flat on her back (supine position) and start chest compressions (100-120 bpm). After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths. Repeat this pattern.
  3. When the AED arrives, power it on and follow its instructions. The steps and process for using the AED will be close to:
    1. Expose the patient’s chest, removing any undergarments or jewelry.
    2. Place the AED pads on the patient’s dry skin as instructed. Pad placement is the same for pregnant women.
    3. The AED will analyze the heart rhythm. If a shock is required, ensure everyone is clear before delivering the shock.
    4. Continue CPR after the shock, following the AED’s instructions to administer subsequent shocks as needed, until emergency medical services arrive.
  4. If the patient revives, carefully roll her onto her left side to improve blood flow to the heart and fetus.
  5. Emergency services will take over treatment and transport the patient to the hospital for further evaluation and potential emergency c-section.

Remember to practice high-quality CPR and follow AED instructions to increase the chances of successful resuscitation.

More Proactive Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an important time to be prepared. While we hope pregnant women never experience cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association has concernedly reported that maternal cardiac arrest is a problem notable enough to be prepared for and prevented.

While the preemptive care given to women and unborn babies during pregnancy is laudable, perhaps patients and families need to know even more directly the invaluable role heart health plays in fetal development for safe and happy delivery. It seems crucial for people to not only embrace proactive steps to help prevent maternal cardiac arrest, but also to become confident enough to intervene in a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

The American Heart Association On Risk

Since the reality that pregnancy involves cardiovascular risk factors is unavoidable, the American Heart Association seeks to raise awareness. To hit this mark, the AHA released a special issue of its peer reviewed journal, Circulation. This issue was specifically designed to highlight “various cardiovascular considerations during pregnancy”. One of the broader realities expanded upon by Circulation in the article, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2022 Update, is that “Poor heart health puts both mothers-to-be and their children at risk, with heart disease causing more than one in four pregnancy-related deaths.”

Though the difficulty can be unthinkable, a pregnant woman may find herself undergoing high-risk pregnancy; she may face complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or amniotic fluid embolism. Sadly, these can cause high blood pressure and other life-threatening symptoms.

As the AHA expresses concern for women’s cardiovascular health prior to pregnancy as well as during patient prenatal care, it becomes apparent a shift towards even more focused heart awareness is happening.

Too Important To Miss

Much indispensable knowledge for preventative prenatal health is shared in obstetrics offices and birthing classes. Yet even so, pregnant women and loved ones may not have encountered cause to mentally prepare for the possibility of sudden cardiac arrest.

Details regarding administering CPR on a pregnant woman may still be unclear. Even people who’ve had some CPR training might hesitate to perform CPR on a pregnant mother and unborn baby. Though understandable, this uncertainty can cost vital time for both the mother and fetus when a pregnant woman is experiencing cardiac arrest.

People might wonder, “Can CPR even be administered to a pregnant woman? Can an AED be used to save the life of a mother and her unborn baby?”

The answer is definitely yes, CPR along with an AED can and should be used immediately on a pregnant woman to treat sudden cardiac arrest.

Solidifying CPR Understanding

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation training is readily available, and most humans will encounter the opportunity to become CPR certified. High quality CPR, along with use of an AED, is highly recommended. Learning the steps to administer CPR for cardiac arrest presents as a fairly straightforward task, yet it can’t hurt to have regular refreshers.

CPR For Pregnant Women

CPR on a pregnant woman is essentially the same as the standard, with the exception of manual left uterine displacement. This involves shifting a rounded abdomen to the pregnant patient’s left side. Doing so relieves the abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cava of added pressure from the enlarged uterus so that they can deliver blood more freely to and from the right side of the heart. According to CPR Seattle, “The efficiency of chest compressions is improved” when the uterine pressure on this artery and large vein is relieved.

It is also imperative to remember to communicate clearly to emergency services first on the phone, and on the scene as well, that the unresponsive person is a pregnant woman. This allows first responders and healthcare providers at the hospital to be as prepared as possible.

What is an AED?

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An AED, or automated external defibrillator is a complex yet easily manageable medical device which can be strategically placed in public and private areas to provide intervention when someone is experiencing cardiac arrest. According to the Red Cross, this clever machine can “analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.”

This device is a godsend for anyone performing CPR. Not only is this device extremely simple to use, but it is designed to be manageable for anyone to use. All that is required is the ability to follow the devices’ perfectly timed verbal (or visual) instructions to the letter.

How Does An AED Help?

Maternal cardiac arrest requires both high-quality CPR with rescue breaths and use of any available AED without hesitation. Chest compressions, rescue breaths and the AED units electric shock will improve blood flow, oxygen levels and greatly increase the odds of survival for both the woman and fetus. Once cardiac arrest has begun, each moment saved by immediate CPR and use of an AED increases the chance of patient survival by 10% per minute.

How To Use An AED On A Pregnant Woman – Step-by-Step Instructions

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First off, remember this simple sequence of first aid actions: Call → Push → Shock.

Call-push-shock instructions for using an AED on a pregnant woman.

  • If a pregnant woman becomes unresponsive and is not breathing properly, it is time to call 911 and mentally prepare to go to the hospital. Make sure to clearly communicate to the call center that the patient is pregnant.
  • During this interval, it is also crucial to send anyone available to find an AED and bring it to you while you perform CPR.
  • Following the 911 call (or if you have help preferably during) start CPR. The steps for high-quality CPR are as follows:

How To Perform CPR On a Pregnant Woman

  1. Lay the pregnant woman flat on her back on the ground or floor. This is called supine position.
  2. Begin CPR. When the pregnant woman is safely in supine position, Begin ~2 inch deep compressions in the center of the chest towards the lower part of the sternum. In order to help keep the correct timing for the chest compressions (100-120 beats per minute) one can internally hum along to popular songs. Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees and Stronger by Brittney Spears are great examples.Sudden cardiac arrest first responder performing CPR on a pregnant woman.
  3. Continue CPR. After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths, then restart this pattern of 30 compressions and two breaths. Continue the pattern as you perform CPR until the AED arrives.First responder continuing CPR on a pregnant woman during a sudden cardiac arrest emergency.

    Using the AED Machine On a Pregnant Woman

    AED with instructions to listen to the prompts provided by the AED.

  4. As soon as the AED unit arrives, power on the device and listen to its instructions. The AED will tell you exactly what to do, but the steps will be something like the steps below:Pregnant woman with AED electrodes attached instructing users to following instructions.
    • Expose the victim’s bare chest. Be aware that undergarments may contain metal or in other ways inhibit the AED from working properly, so remove those as well.
    • Place the AED electrode pads to the person’s dry skin as instructed. Pad placement will not be any different for pregnant women and rest assured the electric shocks will not injure a fetus.
    • The AED will analyze the person’s heart rhythm. If a shock is required, everyone should stand clear of the mother as the shock is delivered.AED unit delivering a shock to pregnant female sudden cardiac arrest victim.
    • Once the shock has been delivered straight to the expecting mother’s body, it is crucially important to continue CPR until the emergency medical team arrives and transports the woman to the hospital. This continuance of the CPR pattern is the singular way the heart will receive the space and supply it needs to re-adjust and settle back into its normal function.First responder continuing CPR on a pregnant woman during a sudden cardiac arrest emergency.
  5. It’s important to note that sometimes an AED can’t locate a shockable heart rhythm in a patient. According to ZOLL:

    “The latest guidelines from resuscitation councils worldwide are clear: successful defibrillation must be supported with high-quality CPR. The AEDs first heart analysis is critical. If it calls for no shock, only high-quality CPR can lead to a shockable rhythm on the next heart analysis. High-quality CPR provides a struggling heart with oxygenated blood needed to help restore a normal rhythm.”

    In essence…work at finding the correct CPR rhythm and with the help of the defibrillator keep trying for resuscitation.

  6. Once the patient has revived, carefully roll her into a resting position on her left side, as this will help increase blood flow to the heart and fetus.First responder rolling a pregnant woman onto her left side during a sudden cardiac arrest emergency.
  7. When emergency services arrive, they will take over treatment and provide transport to the hospital where doctors will assess the entire situation and decide whether or not an emergency c section is warranted.EMS takes over.If you’d like a full visual of the process, please feel free to utilize the infographic below.

Infographic: How to Use an AED on a Pregnant Woman

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Visual steps of how to perform CPR on a pregnant woman.

Share this Infographic On Your Site (Click below to copy)

<p><strong>Infographic created by the team at <a href="https://www.heartsmart.com">HeartSmart</a></strong><br /><br /><a href='https://www.heartsmart.com/blogs/use-aed-on-a-pregnant-woman/'><img src='https://www.heartsmart.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/HeartSmart_Infographic_AED_Final.jpg' alt='How to use an AED on a pregnant woman' width='1080' height='1920' style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;" /></a></p>

Common Mistakes To Avoid

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While the automated external defibrillator is extremely user-friendly and designed to prevent mistakes, if a person does not have a complete understanding of the process of performing CPR, indispensable portions of resuscitation may fall by the wayside, rendering the AED less effective. When using a defibrillator, mistakes will most likely come in the form of life-saving techniques which were overlooked or even initiated out of order. While it’s always preferable to attempt saving a life no matter what, here are some common process mistakes to be aware of as they could deconstruct your first aid efforts.

  1. Hesitation:Do not hesitate to use an AED on a pregnant woman. In fact, it is imperative to do so immediately. A fetus’ life will not be saved without a crucial boost of blood and oxygen flow in an unresponsive pregnant woman. An AED will make this possible and will not in any way harm the unborn child. Prevent hesitation in performing CPR on a pregnant woman by practicing CPR and attending training courses. Also, practice using an AED until you feel confident. If cardiac arrest occurs on your watch, take a deep breath, focus any adrenaline and act immediately using the skills you’ve learned.
  2. Failure to follow instructions completely and precisely:AED instructions are specifically designed to be used readily and easily by literally anyone in an emergency involving heart failure, so stick faithfully with the step-by-step instructions your AED will give. The life of the patient and unborn child will depend on your ability to listen carefully (or watch the screen) and follow these clear commands.
  3. Failure to support AED use with correctly timed, high-quality CPR:Both CPR and defibrillation work hand-in-hand to produce the outcome of resuscitated heart and lungs. It is important to know how to weave AED use into the other systems of basic life saving techniques so that the device will be effective. Unfortunately, misunderstanding the order sequence of resuscitation could be a big enough obstacle to prevent the defibrillator from working entirely effectively. To avoid confusion, make sure to practice using an AED repeatedly within the entire process of CPR and be sure to consider different emergency scenarios and how those might play out.

More Oxygen Please

The state of pregnancy calls for increased oxygen consumption and increased cardiovascular metabolism in the organs of pregnant women. This extra demand on the heart and lungs of a pregnant patient happens so she can supply her baby with life-giving development.

Women also experience altered hormone levels which can cause further complications as they impact air passage and increase the dangers connected to maternal cardiac arrest. When combined, these changes make SCA especially life-threatening in pregnant women.

Based on this pertinent information, it seems bystander CPR as well as partner ability to immediately and confidently perform CPR on an unresponsive pregnant woman are crucial. Anyone ready and willing to do so will be prepared to save two lives.

2 replies on “How to Use an AED on a Pregnant Woman”

I’ve been on edge ever since my wife entered her third trimester, and reading about emergency situations only adds to my worry. Does anyone know if there are specific CPR classes focused on emergencies involving pregnant women? I want to ensure I’m as prepared as possible to support her and our baby if anything unexpected happens.

Hi Bob! We highly recommend taking CPR courses – not just for your pregnant wife, but for your future child as well. Heartsmart.com offers CPR/AED Certification for adults, child, and infants in this virtual class: https://www.heartsmart.com/arc-cpraed-adult-child-infant-p Keep in mind that CPR on an adult is that same technique you would use on a pregnant women. If you have any more questions or need help with finding the best training course, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer care team at [email protected]. Hope this helps & congratulations to you and your wife!

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