Hands Only CPR

[Green Horn]

As an ERT member at work I wonder if I have to re-ceritify? Or does this mean ANYONE can asist (read the part about bystanders)? hmm

NEW YORK - You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life. In a major change, the American Heart Association said Monday that hands-only CPR — rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest until help arrives — works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.

Experts hope bystanders will now be more willing to jump in and help if they see someone suddenly collapse. Hands-only CPR is simpler and easier to remember and removes a big barrier for people skittish about the mouth-to-mouth breathing.

"You only have to do two things. Call 911 and push hard and fast on the middle of the person's chest," said Dr. Michael Sayre, an emergency medicine professor at Ohio State University who headed the committee that made the recommendation.

Hands-only CPR calls for uninterrupted chest presses — 100 a minute — until paramedics take over or an automated external defibrillator is available to restore a normal heart rhythm.

This action should be taken only for adults who unexpectedly collapse, stop breathing and are unresponsive. The odds are that the person is having cardiac arrest — the heart suddenly stops — which can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems. In such a case, the victim still has ample air in the lungs and blood and compressions keep blood flowing to the brain, heart and other organs.

A child who collapses is more likely to primarily have breathing problems — and in that case, mouth-to-mouth breathing should be used. That also applies to adults who suffer lack of oxygen from a near-drowning, drug overdose, or carbon monoxide poisoning. In these cases, people need mouth-to-mouth to get air into their lungs and bloodstream.

But in either case, "Something is better than nothing," Sayre said.

The CPR guidelines had been inching toward compression-only. The last update, in 2005, put more emphasis on chest pushes by alternating 30 presses with two quick breaths; those "unable or unwilling" to do the breaths could do presses alone.

Now the heart association has given equal standing to hands-only CPR. Those who have been trained in traditional cardiopulmonary resuscitation can still opt to use it.

Sayre said the association took the unusual step of making the changes now — the next update wasn't due until 2010 — because three studies last year showed hands-only was as good as traditional CPR. Hands-only will be added to CPR training.

An estimated 310,000 Americans die each year of cardiac arrest outside hospitals or in emergency rooms. Only about 6 percent of those who are stricken outside a hospital survive, although rates vary by location. People who quickly get CPR while awaiting medical treatment have double or triple the chance of surviving. But less than a third of victims get this essential help.

Dr. Gordon Ewy, who's been pushing for hands-only CPR for 15 years, said he was "dancing in the streets" over the heart association's change even though he doesn't think it goes far enough. Ewy (pronounced AY-vee) is director of the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center in Tucson, where the compression-only technique was pioneered.

Ewy said there's no point to giving early breaths in the case of sudden cardiac arrest, and it takes too long to stop compressions to give two breaths — 16 seconds for the average person. He noted that victims often gasp periodically anyway, drawing in a little air on their own.

Anonymous surveys show that people are reluctant to do mouth-to-mouth, Ewy said, partly because of fear of infections.

"When people are honest, they're not going to do it," he said. "It's not only the yuck factor."

In recent years, emergency service dispatchers have been coaching callers in hands-only CPR rather than telling them how to alternate breaths and compressions.

"They love it. It's less complicated and the outcomes are better," said Dallas emergency medical services chief Dr. Paul Pepe, who also chairs emergency medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

One person who's been spreading the word about hands-only CPR is Temecula, Calif., chiropractor Jared Hjelmstad, who helped save the life of a fellow health club member in Southern California

Hjelmstad, 40, had read about it in a medical journal

 

[XRpredator]

we talked about this when I went through EMT class. There's enough oxygen in your blood that if you just keep the heart pumping it will keep up the perfusion of your tissues. The breath you exhale has so little in it as far as oxygen concentration that you don't really help things much.

Now, if you were doing a bag-valve mask with the O2 hooked up, that might be different.

 

[Green Horn]

I was hoping to get some EMT comments on this. :cool:
ERT < EMT. LOL (less medical training/ certifications)

I just drag 'em out of the building and bring 'em to ya. :yikes:

 

[thorman75]

How about Nursing, anyways I just went thru American Red Cross, the non-professionionals went thru hands only, the rest of us did the chest compressions, breaths and vitals.Non pro's were taught to basically stay with it till too tired to continue, a more qualified person showed up or the patient told them to stop.

 

[Green Horn]

How about Nursing, anyways I just went thru American Red Cross, the non-professionionals went thru hands only, the rest of us did the chest compressions, breaths and vitals.Non pro's were taught to basically stay with it till too tired to continue, a more qualified person showed up or the patient told them to stop.

Sorry, I didn't mean to leave out nurses. docs etc...

Actually as a non-professional I did the same training as you a couple weeks ago for my re-cert. We practiced the old 30x2 method.

 

[Patman]

I think I'd feel better knowing that GH wasn't swappin' spit with me if I had a heart attack. Two thumbs up for the new method.

 

[Green Horn]

I think I'd feel better knowing that GH wasn't swappin' spit with me if I had a heart attack. Two thumbs up for the new method.

LMAO I am not the least bit surprised at your candid response.

 

[fatcat216]

My understanding was this was to get "normal" non-saliva exchanging apathetic by-standers to help out.

You'd still have to recert the old fashioned way. Just another tool for the masses- or those who don't want to lip lock the dying.

 

[thorman75]

1 and 2 and 3 and 4, the instructor told me to take it easy as I would have been breaking ribs, thankfully I never had to do compressions on AJ although I have been in the ER with him on several occasions, the guy can't stay on his bike always jumping off

 

[Patman]

I believe by 2018 AJ will be almost 100% stainless & titanium.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I learned CPR 30 years ago.

One year ago a situation came up where I attempted to put that training to use. I regret to say that it was unsuccessful, but at least I tried.

I was finishing up a day at the boat and was walking by the lanuch ramp and noticed a few people standing around a man laying on the ground. One guy was on his cell phone calling 911. As I walked up the guy on the ground was still moving a bit, but it quickly became apparent that he was in serious trouble.

I observed for maybe 30 seconds before deciding to act. His "friends" weren't doing anything to help him so I moved in. Another lady (stranger), a real tiny gal also moved in. She was more familiar with CPR so she started the chest compressions and I tried Mouth to Mouth.

It took me a little while to establish an airway, but then I was able to inflate his chest. At least I hope I was inflating the chest, air was going somehwere. I have often wondered if I was really inflating his stomach.

The bad part is that this guy was foaming at the mouth and I had to keep wiping the "foam" from his mouth. It was disgusting. The lady and I worked on him for about 10 minutes before parmedics arrived and took over. They worked on him for another 20 minutes before loading him up in the ambulance. At that point they were not in a hurry, and I heard later he was DOA. At the end of the ordeal I was sick to my stomach and an emotional wreck.

I have often wondered if the results would have been different if I hadn't paused that initial 30 seconds or if I had been faster at establishing the airway. I didn't know the guy, I was only a slight aquaintance to one of his friends, yet his death has troubled me greatly.

Now they are saying that mouth to mouth isn't necessary. I wonder if that is because it really isn't necessary or simply because people like me can't do it effectively.

Rod

 

[Green Horn]

I wouldn't be so harsh on yourself. Like it is always said "It is better to try something rather than do nothing..." What if you just walked away from the whole thing? Now then I'd be a critic. Good on you for being there and trying...regardless of the outcome. If something ever happens to me I would hope to have someone like you around rather than have no help at all. :cool:

 

[fatcat216]

I didn't know the guy, I was only a slight aquaintance to one of his friends, yet his death has troubled me greatly.

That seems the ultimate in humanness.

Now they are saying that mouth to mouth isn't necessary. I wonder if that is because it really isn't necessary or simply because people like me can't do it effectively.
Rod

Boy- I've never heard you utter a negative about anything Rod, let alone yourself. When I was a teenager, I learned CPR, and...at a restaurant I worked at, a guy was having a heart attack in our parking lot. I guarantee you, the same question ran through my mind. Having learned CPR puts you in an elite group of individuals to begin with. Making an honest effort to help, and not walking away when others were there, yet rarer group. It reminds me, a bit of an "Onion" radio story I heard just the other day...of a guy who saved a woman and 30 years later- she died anyway. A totally sick and funny story.... The fact is: We just don't get to choose when our number is up. By logical extension, you can't take the blame on something that is bigger and more random than you. Use it as a reason to practice more, or take refresher courses, or advanced skills. But to feel lousy about having made the effort to save a life? I think not.

Secondly- the hands only doesn't say that the air isn't effective at all. None the less over the 30 or more years the compression rates/ratios have changed immensely. This is another extension of that, and of the times we live in. It's also a reflection of the statistical odds of why a person suddenly collapsed.

I wouldn't be so harsh on yourself.x If something ever happens to me I would hope to have someone like you around rather than have no help at all. :cool:

I'll second that. Thanks for being the right kind of people Rod. :nod: I think you can rest easy...

 

[mxracer146]

As a paramedic, I know that most bystanders don't do CPR well. If this "hands only" thing can teach folks to CPR a little better it should be beneficial. Doing CPR is not a cake walk, it's hard work.