What is required to determine if CPR should be continued or stopped?

To determine if CPR should be continued or stopped, assessing response signs is crucial. This involves checking the patient for any signs of consciousness, movement, or a reaction to stimuli. If the person begins to show signs of responsiveness, such as opening their eyes, moving, or verbalizing, this indicates a potential return of normal physiological function, and continuing CPR may no longer be necessary.

In a critical care situation, monitoring for response signs provides immediate insight into the patient’s status, allowing healthcare providers to make timely and informed decisions about whether to maintain CPR efforts or shift to other interventions. Recognizing these response signs is often one of the first steps in evaluating the effectiveness of resuscitation efforts.

Other options, while important in the overall assessment of a patient’s condition, do not directly inform the immediate decision to continue or stop CPR. Checking vital signs can provide valuable information, but it may take additional time, and in emergency situations, immediate assessments are prioritized. Waiting for advanced providers can delay intervention when the responder on the scene is capable of determining the next steps based on observed response. Using an AED is a critical component of resuscitation but is typically utilized concurrently with CPR rather than as a means of deciding whether to continue CPR.