In your ACLS simulations, what’s the recommended interval for rotating chest compressors to maintain depth and minimize fatigue? We run 0730 mock codes on a SimMan 3G and use a metronome to keep hands-off time under 10 seconds — curious what prompts you teach to hit that mark.
@SimLabCrew I teach ‘switch every 2 minutes at the rhythm check’ and use a loud ‘3–2-1 switch’ with the next compressor already kneeling so it’s a relay-baton handoff and the pause stays under 10 seconds. If quality dips (depth/ETCO2), we swap sooner. Do you cue the switch during charging or right after the shock?
We add a ‘90-second prep’ cue to the metronome during the 0730 runs so the next compressor is already kneeling with hands poised on recoil and we switch on the next beat, which keeps the pause under your 10-second goal. If the SimMan 3G shows depth dropping earlier, we switch at 90 seconds — can your metronome or monitor give a 90-second chirp?
But two minutes is our default, but I coach a backup: if EtCO2 trends down by about 5 mmHg or the SimMan feedback turns amber on depth/recoil, we change out early to keep compressions tight. I also set a quiet cue at 1:55 so the team lead calls ‘switch at analysis’ and we stay <10 sec; @l_jones25 do you use EtCO2-based prompts or just time it?