Definition

Noun: * An emergency medical procedure involving the repeated, rhythmic compression of the heart. This is performed to manually pump blood through the body when the heart has stopped beating effectively (cardiac arrest). The compression can be applied externally through the chest wall or internally during surgery directly on the heart.

Usage

• Cardiac massage is a critical component of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• The primary goal of cardiac massage is to maintain minimal blood flow to vital organs like the brain and heart until normal heart function can be restored.
• Proper technique during cardiac massage is essential to maximize effectiveness and minimize injury.

Examples

• The paramedics began immediate cardiac massage upon finding the patient unresponsive and without a pulse.
• During the open-heart surgery, the surgeon performed direct cardiac massage when the patient's heart went into arrest.
• Effective cardiac massage can double or triple a person's chance of survival after cardiac arrest.

Advanced Usage

• Closed-chest cardiac massage: The standard external method performed as part of basic life support CPR.
• Open-chest cardiac massage (or internal cardiac massage): A direct method performed by a surgeon during thoracic or abdominal surgery when the chest cavity is already open.

Variants and Related Words

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) (n): The full emergency procedure for cardiac arrest that combines cardiac massage (chest compressions) with artificial ventilation (rescue breaths).
• Chest Compressions (n): The specific action of pressing on the chest to perform external cardiac massage.
• Heart Massage (n): A less formal synonym for cardiac massage.

Synonyms

• Heart compression
• Chest compression (specifically for the external method)

Related Phrases

• To perform cardiac massage: To administer the procedure.
  • The lifeguard was trained to perform cardiac massage.
• To initiate cardiac massage: To begin the procedure.
  • It is crucial to initiate cardiac massage as soon as cardiac arrest is recognized.

Noun

1. an emergency procedure that employs rhythmic compression of the heart (either through the chest wall or, during surgery, directly to the heart) in an attempt to maintain circulation during cardiac arrest