Hands Only CPR

The American Heart Association announced that hands-only cpr works just as well as the traditional cpr method. Generally, when adults collapse and stop breathing it is cardiac arrest but with children is probably due to breathing issues so mouth-to-mouth would still have to be used on them.

The hands only method is supposed to be better because it is easier to remember and some people who are reluctant to participate in the mouth-to-mouth part of the traditional cpr method will now, hopefully, be more willing to jump in and help.

Other than removing the stigma of performing mouth-to-mouth on a stranger, hands-only cpr may be more effective than traditional cpr because stopping to give breathes takes time away from compressing. Also, usually patients having cardiac arrest take small gasps of air on their own anyway so they are still getting some air.

I found this interesting because I always thought stuff like cpr was pretty set in stone but I guess people are always working on ways to improve old, simple procedures. I like how they talked about how it would help not only physiologically, but how it ultimately might save more people because it removes some of the stigma behind mouth-to-mouth cpr.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hOVUvypBGYgOxkIQz5F4D8XIps0gD8VOO1101