how long can you go before resuscitation is not longer possible?
451344
The brain can relatively live for about an hour without oxygen before it completely shuts off, thats why many EMP's and emergency response people talk aobut the "golden hour", that a person who gets to the hospital within an hour is more likely to live.
721839
Indefinitely.  I'm not sure what the record is, but people have remained comatose for many years.
1118805
the average person can hold their breath for about a minute and a half in desperation.    i believe the world record is well above 8 minutes now, but those people have lungs 4 times the capacity.   The brain is starved of oxygen at 4 minutes and brain cells begin dying rapidly.
631482
interesting question.\n\nthe actual point when someone "passes away" i suppose could be a little unclear based on this statement. Usually it would just be defined as when your heart no longer beats, but i suppose your brain would be able to function for a short while afterwards, depending on how you die.\nMy guess is that it would be for about as long you can hold your breath, since a lack of blood is basically equivalent to a lack of oxygen. \n\nAfter a certain point though, brain function would be impossible. This is why when people are resuscitated, it is usually almost immediately after they die, if they wait too long it could result in some serious brain damage.
1072730
I am so sorry about your grandfather. It is impossible for anyone to give you an exact amount of time he has left. However, if he is being cared for by a hospice agency, then his doctor has determined that he has less than 6 months (give or take - you just never know)\nSome signs of impending death are:\nDecreased eating/drinking\nA decrease in urine output\nExtremities become cool and dark\nirregular breathing pattern\na collection of secretions in the mouth/throat - so that it "rattles"when they breath\nI am sorry I can't give you more specific information - no one can.\nI wish you the best.
724877
??? i think it would vary depending upon how long someone can hold their breath, what type of situation it was...like, if someone were being violently drowned, they may suck in water making it quicker. same with drinking. being inebriated may decrease the time if the person was less in control of bodily function.... why are you asking.....
109833
You should wait 2-3 minutes before reinflating the cuff again.
1023865
Actually, yes. Well, let me rephrase that. In certain areas, yes. It depends what country, where in that country, the climate, the plant life... that sort of thing. But in many areas I think I could safely survive for at least 1 week. But, as I said, it really depends on the circumstances. And, if I were injured, who knows. It's all relative.
1116668
I think the timeline is somewhere like 3-6 months. You should probably wait a good while so your body has time to heal. Do what your doc recommends. Don't get anxious, take your time.
789560
The body begins to canabalize itself, starting with muscle tissue and then fat I believe.  Forty days is probably close to the limit for survival if not well beyond it.  Dehydration will kill much more quickly though, more like 3-4 days if I'm not mistaken.
391249
Just because the resuscitator is expired doesn't mean that it degrades immediately.  It'll probably still work because the components haven't broken down.  However, the expiration date is there for a reason.  After that date the likelihood of the device not working increases.  If you've got an air resuscitator around for times of emergencies, it's best to keep one that's still within it's expiration date.  If it's out, replace it with a new one.
198910
3 hours, if the patient is stable.
248164
As chslaw said, the laws on the subject vary between states, and you didn't say what state you want to know this about.\n\nIn California, there's no "time limit" per se.  There is a rebuttable presumption that deals with a three hour time limit, but there's no actual law that says blood must be drawn within a certain amount of time.
498469
1 to 2 minutes is good, however 'freedivers' can hold theirs for 5 minutes or more, to do this they hyperventilate to a degree (sufficient so that they still have traces of CO2 in their bloodstream to enable the hypoxic drive - so that they don't pass out through lack of oxygen) - DO NOT try this without medical or instructor supervision.
115752
I think there is a timelimit of at least 24 hours before you can choose "Best Answer".
1039629
It can vary, depending on the severity, the triggers, your medication, your general health.\n\nI have gone with several minutes to several hours.  \n\nBut when I changed my work environment, I went from 10-15 episodes a day to 10-15 a year and that is only if I have a cold or something.\n\nUse your emergency inhaler.  If you get no relief, call an ambulance, they should have a nebulizer on board and if that does not work, they can get you to a hospital.   Don't panic.  It will only make it worse.\n\nBeen there...17 years and counting.
121784
Well, technically they can but usually only for about 6-8 minutes after death.  See, we define people as being dead when their heart stops beating, but for a few minutes if we can get their heart started again they'll be fine.  After about 8 minutes brain damage starts to occur, and I think somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes it becomes hopeless.  Those times will be a bit longer if the person is really cold though.