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Comment by sdfjkl | Hacker News Reader

You might want a tattoo on your neck explaining the situation (assuming that's where first aiders will commonly try to find your pulse).

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That's by far the easiest pulse to find. Though, from my training, I'm always feeling for breath while taking a pulse at the same time. For first aid reasons, usually the reason you take a pulse is to gauge whether you need to give CPR - and if they don't have a pulse to begin with, there's not really a point in CPR.

Plus, most people with existing medical conditions worth mentioning usually wear a bracelet. I feel this would fall into the same category.

I thought CPR pumps the lungs and heart to provide blood and oxygen support -- which is definitely useful when there's no pulse.

In the general case, yes. But what about when the lack of pulse is caused by the machine? How will forced compression be handled by the machine? Blood may still be pumping, and breathing circulates air, if I'm not mistaken.

oh, I misunderstood your comment...

Yeah, CPR will not work if you have this machine instead of a heart, and it isn't working. But if you aren't breathing, it may work because CPR also activates the lungs and circulates air as you said.

> if they don't have a pulse to begin with, there's not really a point in CPR

Got a reference for that? What's the C in CPR for if that's true?

C is for Cardio which means heart. Oops!

I think you meant to ask "What's the P in CPR for if that's true?"

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