The Five Fears of CPR and Rescue

http://www.ProCPR.org - Updated video covering the Five Fears of Rescue Most people are very reluctant to get involved in providing CPR and First Aid. The primary reason for this reluctance is fear. People tend to have five fears related to rescue. 1. Lawsuits: Don't be afraid to try to save a life in need of saving because of the fear of getting sued. Each state has Good Samaritan laws that protect you from liability when you voluntarily render emergency aid to another individual. You cannot hurt someone that is already in danger of dying by doing SOMETHING to save their lives. 2. Unsure of Skills: Understand that CPR only slows down the progress from clinical death to biological death but will not stop it! We know any number combination during rescue breaths to compressions will help buy time for EMS to use an AED and ALS to administer medications. The numbers are guidelines, not the rule. (Which is part of the reason why Hands-Only CPR has become such a popular alternative to rescue breathing.) 3. Might Hurt or Kill Patient: This goes hand in hand with number two. The person is already dead. How much worse can the patient physically become? Even Hands-Only CPR is better than doing nothing. It will only help the person to do something rather than nothing. 4. Disease: This fear has been around for some time and can be solved by ordering a Key-Ring or other accessible CPR shield and protective gloves. That way, you're always prepared for the worst of circumstances. Hands-Only CPR may be a good alternative if you don't have personal protective equipment or don't feel comfortable giving rescue breaths. 5. Unsafe Scene: The only fear that rescuers should be afraid of is the fear of an unsafe scene. Do not become another patient yourself. Make sure, if you're going to enter an area to rescue someone, that the surrounding area is safe enough so that you don't become another victim.

http://www.ProCPR.org As of April, 2008, the American Heart Association began promoting hands-only CPR for lay rescuers. Hands-only CPR helps encourage lay rescuers to get involved who may not otherwise help. With this new technique, rescuers deliver 1.5 to 2 inch deep compressions at a rate of approximately 100 compressions per minute without the need to deliver rescue breaths in between. Hands-only CPR eliminates the fear of transmitting disease by removing the mouth-to-mouth component of CPR. 6/2/10 Update - In honor of CPR Awareness Week, ProCPR.org has created a Facebook Application to train people how to perform hands-only CPR and use an AED. You can find the application at http://apps.facebook.com/hands_only_cpr