Easy CPR: Keep it Simple
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped. CPR used to involve complicated patterns of mouth to mouth breathing and compressions. The latest data however shows that the lungs already have enough oxygen in them to sustain life, without having to give additional breaths. BUT, you still have to circulate the blood to deliver oxygen to vital organs until more definitive medical treatment can restore a normal heart rhythm. This is a NEW, NO MOUTH to MOUTH, hands on only technique taught by American Heart.
When the heart stops, the absence of oxygenated blood can cause irreparable brain damage in only a few minutes. Death will occur within eight to 10 minutes. Time is critical when you’re helping an unconscious person who isn’t breathing. To learn CPR properly, take an accredited first-aid training course, including CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). Until then, here’s some basics you can take with you . . . .
ADULT Hands on Only CPR
Most important: Make sure the victim doesn’t have a pulse! Put you ear on his chest if you have to!
Position the patient on their back.
Place the heel of one hand over the center of the person’s chest, between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the first hand. Keep your elbows straight and position your shoulders directly above your hands.
Use your upper body weight (not just your arms) as you push straight down on (compress) the chest 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Push hard and push fast — give two compressions per second, or about 100 compressions per minute.
CHILD CPR for children 1 through 8: Use only one hand to perform heart compressions.
fascinating. it’s only now that i have a better idea regarding the details of no mouth to mouth cpr. also, this makes it more possible for just one person to do cpr, and focus his or her attention on the action most required. thanks for the heads up.
How about a drowning victim? Is mouth to mouth needed then? Or hypothermia?
No mouth to mouth for drowning victims nor hypothermia. The idea is that there is enough oxygen in the bloodstream, to last quite a while. The trick is to circulate the blood so it can be be delivered to the brain and vital organs. Just start pumping and have someone call 911!!
I am a CPR instructor and can tell you that this type of approach really does work. So much time is wasted giving breaths. If you forget everything you know about CPR, just check for response, call 911, start chest compressions, and wait for ems to arrive.
There are certain exceptions to this new mantra taught by the AHA, which are in the fine print of the training.
When resuscitating drowning victims or choking victims, artificial respirations should still be given.
In these cases, the reason they went into cardiac arrest was because of a lack of oxygen; thus, there is no oxygen already in the blood. Therefore, doing compressions would be useless, as their entire purpose is to provide oxygen-rich blood to the organs. If the blood is not oxygen rich, no dice.
Also, if a person went into respiratory arrest before they went into full cardiac arrest, there would be no oxygen in the blood unless artificial respirations were being given. This can happen with asthma, anaphylaxis, pneumonia, or congestive heart failure. Respirations must be given!
It would also be prudent to oxygenate anybody whose arrest was not witnessed, as they may have been down for an indefinite amount of time.
Just think before you compress only. If their blood is not oxygenated to begin with, there is no point in doing compressions. Remember, infection rate from mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or contact with vomitus is EXTREMELY low, and especially if you know the victim well, it is probably worth giving artificial respirations.
How to identafy a heart attack and what to do fractures what to do cpr for babies and children