How long should interruptions in CPR be kept to during chest compressions?

During chest compressions, interruptions in CPR should be minimized to maintain adequate blood flow to vital organs, particularly the heart and brain. The recommended guideline is to limit interruptions to no longer than 10 seconds. This is essential because longer interruptions can significantly decrease the effectiveness of CPR, leading to worse outcomes for the patient.

Interruptions may occur for various reasons, such as analyzing heart rhythms or providing breaths in a two-person resuscitation scenario. Keeping these interruptions to a short duration ensures that the compression cycle maintains a high-quality blood flow, maximizing the chances of successful resuscitation.

Maintaining consistency in compressions is critical; therefore, extending interruptions beyond 10 seconds can increase the risk of inadequate perfusion pressure and oxygen delivery to the body's tissues, ultimately compromising the resuscitation effort.