Chest-Compression-Only CPR Saves More Lives

As I love to say, the only constant is change. As a health care office, we review and are re-tested on CPR every year. While you can get by with every 2 year certification, we always feel better with the one year plan.

The interesting thing to me is as the science evolves, how quickly the guidelines can change. It seems that almost every time our trainer Julie comes to the office, there has been some type of change to the way we last learned it.

Now comes news that chest compression only, may be the best way. Here's the info from Web MD:

As an aside to this story, I love Web MD. The site is loaded with good professionally verified info and is written in a way anyone can understand. Cudos to them for providing this great article!

Researchers Say the Technique Has Advantages Over CPR That Includes Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation

By Denise Mann
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Oct. 5, 2010 -- Bystanders who perform chest-compression-only CPR instead of traditional CPR with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (rescue breathing) save more lives, a study shows.

Researchers found that adults who experienced cardiac arrest in a non-hospital setting, such as a restaurant or mall, were 60% more likely to survive if they received compression-only CPR than if they received traditional CPR or no CPR until an emergency medical services (EMS) crew arrived at the scene.

The findings are published in the Oct. 6 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Benefits of Chest-Compression-Only CPR

The researchers say chest-compression-only CPR may be easier to learn and remember than traditional CPR, which alternates between chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Non-medical personnel may be more willing to perform chest-compression-only CPR, as they may not want to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation -- especially on strangers.

There may be additional benefits to this method as well. The survival edge may occur because interrupting chest compressions --- even just for rescue breathing-- may further hamper blood flow, and it takes longer to get that blood flow back when it is time for more chest compressions, explains study researcher Bentley J. Bobrow, MD, of the Arizona Department of Health Services in Phoenix.

For the rest of the info, head over to WebMD.