RT Book, Section A1 Reichman, Eric F. SR Print(0) ID 57704476 T1 Chapter 43. Open Cardiac Massage T2 Emergency Medicine Procedures, 2e YR 2013 FD 2013 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-161352-1 LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57704476 RD 2024/11/12 AB The purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during cardiac arrest or hypovolemic shock is to provide adequate cardiac output. This can be done using either closed or open chest cardiac massage. Open cardiac massage may on rare occasions be performed in the Emergency Department. It is performed on patients who have had an emergent thoracotomy after penetrating chest trauma and have inadequate cardiac activity. It may also be performed, in rare instances, after a thoracotomy to decompress a pericardial tamponade in a medical patient. Open cardiac massage is considered a heroic procedure in the Emergency Department that can be lifesaving if performed on the appropriate patient.1–11