New CPR Guidelines

Many a life has been lost because people in the area of a victim refused to perform CPR. Why is this?

The most logical reason people give for not performing CPR are they are unfamiliar with the latest CPR guidelines. Many aren't even aware that there are guidelines much less new ones.

The American Red Cross is making major efforts to add the new CPR guidelines into their training. The new guidelines are addressing fears that both laymen and professionals have regarding the "two cleansing breath" technique employed after clearing the airway and before starting compressions.

The American Heart Association is now supporting "Hands only" CPR as a means of saving life until a professional health care provider can arrive on the seen. This is a major change in recommended methodology being taught in first aid classes.

It is now acceptable to skip the mouth to mouth part of the techniques and go straight to rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest until professional help arrives. It has been found that this works just as well for sudden Cardiac arrest in adults.

It is believed as this one major change in CPR training will save a lot of lives. It will provide a means of individuals to provide CPR without having to fear of contracting AID's or some other disease by needing to provide mouth to mouth contact while performing this vital life saving technique.

For the emergency medical providers the new guide lines suggest that either manual or pressurized breathing equipment be used. This is to maintain the value of ensuring a clear airway while applying CPR. Ambulances are now being equipped with these devices to comply with the new guidelines. Many emergency medical service personnel have been voicing agreement and relief since their services adopted equipment to go with these new guidelines.

It may be only this humble writers opinion but I believe this change in the CPR guidelines will save more lives than even the Red Cross and the American Heart Association hope for. The reason I say this is in these uncertain times there is so much worry about contracting disease that those that understood CPR have been pretending they don't because of the mouth to mouth breathing that was always part of technique training. Now they will once again take a more active part in saving lives not that they can avoid the mouth to mouth contact.