ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews current basic life support (BLS) guidelines for the nonpregnant person, and describes the critical steps in maternal cardiac arrest response that improve the efficacy of resuscitation in pregnant people. Defibrillation is a key component of resuscitation and should be administered without delay in a pregnant patient with a shockable rhythm. Ideally, at least three first responders perform the modifications of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in pregnancy: chest compressions, airway management, and left uterine displacement. Current recommendations for chest compressions on pregnant adults are to use the same hand placement on the chest as for nonpregnant adults. While automated chest compression devices (ACCDs) have not been studied in the pregnant population, it is reasonable to consider ACCD use for chest compressions. The start of the BLS survey is the same for pregnant and nonpregnant persons: activate help and immediately start high-quality chest compressions.
