question: my mom has a pulse of 166 in S.I.C.U. HOW far does it go up for cardiac arrest?

Answer 1

Not knowing exactly what is wrong with your mom, it's kind of hard to tell you the exact cause of why her heart rate is 166. Her body is being stressed right now and her heart is working hard to compensate. For example, with a resp. problem, she is breathing harder and her heart rate is faster to try to supply oxygen. You didn't say how old she is, or what her general health status is--all this matters. So 166 for her may not be outrageously high, maybe she runs higher than normal if she is a chronically ill patient. Don't get me wrong--166 is high. But cardiac arrest can occur if it is too low or too high and the "number" is different for every person. There's a lot to consider here! I'm sure the drs and nurses are taking all this very seriously and watching all her other "vital signs" But, the most important thing--how does she look and feel? That's what's important, too. So, try to remain calm for your mom's sake. Ask her nurse or doctor (preferably outside of your mom's room so you don't upset her) exactly what's going on. If you are calm, it will go a long way to keep your mom calm and not add to the anxiety she is already under, which, in turn, may help keep her HR down.

Answer 2

Actually, look at your question, cardiac arrest is when it goes to ZERO.