December 2, 2005
In an effort to make cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) simpler and more effective for ordinary people, the American Heart Association (AHA) has changed its guidelines on how to deliver rescue breaths and chest compressions that can help save someone who has suddenly stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped pumping blood adequately.
The AHA's update of its CPR guidelines puts a greater emphasis on chest compressions to get blood circulating adequately through the body again. The AHA now recommends that rescuers give 30 chest compressions, instead of 15, for every two mouth-to-mouth breaths.
The AHA also tried to simplify the guidelines so that people would be more likely to learn and remember CPR and perform it properly. Now, for example, many of the guidelines are the same for kids and adults; before, they differed. And there's less emphasis on mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which people are reluctant to perform on strangers, studies have found.
Getting more people to learn and deliver CPR is important - an estimated 95% of those who suffer cardiac arrest (outside of a hospital) don't survive. Experts say that part of the reason is that not enough people know - and attempt - CPR. During cardiac arrest - which is when a person's heart suddenly stops beating - blood can't get to vital organs like the brain and the lungs that need blood to keep the body alive. Research has shown that even some chest compressions can be effective enough to get blood flowing again and help save a person's life.
Often, CPR can help kids in emergencies and accidents, like near-drownings, suffocation, poisoning, smoke inhalation, or electrocution.
Here are some of the highlights of the new CPR guidelines:
- To give effective chest compressions, you should push hard and push fast.
- Try to limit interruptions to the chest compressions because each time the compressions stop, blood flow stops.
- Give 2 rescue breaths (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) for every 30 compressions for all victims, including infants.
- Each rescue breath should make the victim's chest rise, and should last for 1 second.
- Allow the chest to return to the normal position completely after each compression.
- If a defibrillator (a device that delivers an electrical shock to the heart to get it beating effectively again) is available, deliver 1 shock, then immediately do 5 cycles of compressions and rescue breaths.
- It is safe to use a defibrillator on a child who is 1 year old or older, but there's not enough evidence to recommend it for babies who are younger than that.
What it Means to You
Whenever CPR is needed, remember to call 911 or your local emergency number for emergency medical assistance as soon as possible.
To learn how to properly perform CPR, it's important to take a course from a certified provider. And it's a good idea to retake the course at least every 2 years to keep your skills sharp and learn the most current techniques. Local chapters of the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross can provide information about a CPR course in your area.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: November 2005
