The commenters you’re replying to have no idea what they’re talking about. There’s virtually no where on earth where basic and advanced cardiac life support isn’t performed, especially in hospitals.
“In a lot of hospitals, esp in developing countries, the heart rate is still taken as the default indicator for life.”
That’s just nonsense on multiple levels. A person in Vfib or pulseless electrical activity has a “heart rate” but they are inevitably going to die without intervention - they are just as dead as someone with asystole. So nowhere in the world is a heart rate an indicator for life - that isn’t a cultural issue that’s a basic physiology one.
A lack of heart rate is not a necessary nor sufficient indication of death!
The medical indications for basic and advanced cardiac life support are clearly understood throughout the world at this point.
Cultural attitudes towards CPR vary - some of that has to do with education as well. It’s a complicated subject, but Hacker News comments don’t seem to be the most fruitful place to have that discussion.
Reducing CPR to “clinging to life at all costs” is not coming from an informed point of view. CPR performed on a 25 year old otherwise healthy trauma victim and a 95 year old with heart failure are not comparable.
“In a lot of hospitals, esp in developing countries, the heart rate is still taken as the default indicator for life.”
That’s just nonsense on multiple levels. A person in Vfib or pulseless electrical activity has a “heart rate” but they are inevitably going to die without intervention - they are just as dead as someone with asystole. So nowhere in the world is a heart rate an indicator for life - that isn’t a cultural issue that’s a basic physiology one.
A lack of heart rate is not a necessary nor sufficient indication of death!
The medical indications for basic and advanced cardiac life support are clearly understood throughout the world at this point.
Cultural attitudes towards CPR vary - some of that has to do with education as well. It’s a complicated subject, but Hacker News comments don’t seem to be the most fruitful place to have that discussion.
Reducing CPR to “clinging to life at all costs” is not coming from an informed point of view. CPR performed on a 25 year old otherwise healthy trauma victim and a 95 year old with heart failure are not comparable.