CPR and Mechanical Thumpers
Cardiac collapse -- a heart that has stopped working -- is fatal on its
own, but it opens a short window where circulation can be kept going by
hand or by machine while the underlying problem gets fixed.
CPR only matters when the heart is the reason someone is dying. It does
nothing for someone whose heart is fine, and it does not fix anything
else that is independently killing them -- blood loss, a ruined airway,
or similar are unaffected by chest compressions.
What CPR and a thumper do NOT do
Neither one repairs a heart, restores heart function, refills blood,
heals any wound, or wakes anyone up. They buy time for someone to
actually replace or repair the heart through real medical treatment --
they do not substitute for it.
The window is limited
Once a heart stops, there is a hard ceiling on how long circulation
support can matter, no matter how it is maintained or how many times
support starts and stops in the meantime. Waiting too long to begin,
or letting too much time pass overall, means support can no longer help.
Manual CPR
cpr <target>
Performing CPR occupies your hands and attention the whole time --
getting hit, getting dragged off, being knocked out, or simply leaving
the room ends it. Use the ordinary 'stop' command to end it deliberately.
Mechanical thumper
A mechanical thumper is a physical device that does the same job as a
rescuer's hands, without needing a rescuer to keep doing it:
thumper attach <target>
thumper detach <target>
You must be carrying the thumper to attach it. Once attached it stays
attached -- through a Server reload, through the target being moved, and
regardless of whether it happens to be doing anything useful right now
-- until someone deliberately detaches it.
See also:
help medical system
help death and unconsciousness