Jim Lane

Now CPR has become even simpler to perform.

No mouth-to-mouth required in new CPR rules

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23884566/

This should make it less intimidating.

Jim

Totallyrad

WOW, it might encourage some folks to jump in but boy they better be in shape. That's a difficult pace to maintain.

chaikwa

The 'new rules' are somewhat misleading. The only ones that are not required to give mouth to mouth breathing are those people who have not received training. Of course, no one but health care providers are 'required' to do anything. Even if you have a CPR card in your pocket, you are under NO obligation to provide any care what-so-ever.

Hvytrkmech

They have been doing studies on this for years, unfortunately it has not been up channeled for professional rescuer protocol as of yet.

chaikwa

What it boiled down to was that "SOME CPR is better than NO CPR", hence the lack of rescue breathing for the untrained lay rescuer.

Hvytrkmech

The studies that we have seen have shown that the simple action of doing chest compressions actually perfused more oxygenated air then expelling reduced oxygenated air into a patients lungs. essentially the only thing that was better was using a BVM set at 100% or the ideal method, intubation. There were some very interesting studies presented to us over the years on possible changes and updates to procedures, but like everything else things got tied up in red tape.

madhat

The last class I took, it was 30 to two. They said that studies have shown that there is enough O2 in the blood stream for 5 minutes.

The old way did not get enough blood pressure up to transfer the blood.

I've performed CPR a few times, after 5 minutes I was getting a little winded. When there is two people, it's a lot easier.

chaikwa

You must have had a good instructor because he was right on about the O2 and the blood pressure.

madhat

Yeah. We get a 4 hour course every two years. Our last instructor was... drumroll... the fire chief for the base FD...

I want to take an instructor class, there is one coming up in a month or so, I think.

Redleg

Agreed, they believe there was more harm done than good during the compression to breath transition. Faster compressions are better than the old two-count method as well.

chaikwa

Correct. But don't forget, for the most part we are dealing with the lay rescuer when we talk about the new changes. Lay rescuers don't normally have access to BVM's and tubes. And there aren't many changes for the health care provider level. We still have to check for a pulse and provide breaths. But now, instead of 'A,B,C', (Airway, Breathing & Circulation), it has changed to 'C,A,B', Circulation, Airway & Breathing.

There's decent money to be made in it too if it's done right and you offer what the people want, when and where they want it.

There is that, and there was also the consideration that the majority of people, even those trained in CPR, would not do anything due to the mouth to mouth aspect of the procedure. Hence, some is better than none.

SIXSLUG

Most don't establish the airway and manage to keep it open. Even as trained professionals, we always managed to get air into the stomach, which can cause the victim to vomit more forcefully when they regain consciousness.

Thanks for the masks with the one-way valve! Don't ever leave home without it if you want to help.

madhat

I have a couple of one way sheets in my truck...

annabelle

X2 9 of 2010 by United Blood Bank.

Justwannabeme

use to be on the national Board; Clara Barton Chapter # 1 was founded in Dansville, New York. can't quote the report but can tell ya that the majority of folks willing to help were in the 30-50 year old range.

societal issues were the biggest reason folks: stopped training, refused to get involved, felt it was not worth the chance, bristled at the professionals being paid to respond but not around, so why should the 'tax payer' get involved.
c'mon, you know this: biggest societal reason for not touching another human? AIDS, gay, drugs, fear of being sued.

I am happy the changes are made. just stick with them for more than a year.
35 years of Red Cross classes taught, quit after the tenth change in method.

just make sure the scene is safe- amazing how many times- it isn't.