Changes in CPR procedure may come this year, says heart association
Researchers seek to eliminate mouth-to-mouth for heart attack victims
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Editor's note: The American Heart Association is in the process of reconsidering CPR standards. Researchers and clinicians have shown that the mouth-to-mouth component is not only less effective, but it's also bad for the victim. EMS leaders are now considering advocating 'compression only' CPR. In the following article, Art Hsieh takes a look at a video report this week by Kold News 13 on the issue. |
By Art Hsieh
EMS1 Editorial Advisor
While brief, this report reinforces the concept that current, "state of the art" management of cardiac arrest revolves around high quality chest compressions. For the lay public (not to mention, trained professionals), being able to learn, and more importantly retain the steps to opening and airway and providing ventilations in a short period of time has been a difficult challenge to overcome. It slows the prompt initiation of chest compressions that has been shown to be effective in resuscitation.
This information is not new; pre-arrival instructions provided by dispatchers to bystanders willing to perform CPR have not included mouth-to-mouth ventilations. This trend extends to the ALS level, where many systems are moving away from the concept of "necessary intubation" to "necessary airway management" which includes bag valve masks or supraglottic airways.
The report also points to the pending changes in cardiac arrest management that will be published by the American Heart Association at the end of 2010. Every five years, researchers and experts from around the globe meet and review cardiac resuscitation data collected during that time. At this point, much of the review has been done, with formal write-ups being completed this spring and summer. Once the information is released, it will be up to training organizations to disseminate it to both professional care providers, as well as the lay public.
Art Hsieh, MA, NREMT-P, is Chief Executive Officer & Education Director of the San Francisco Paramedic Association, a published author of EMS textbooks and a national presenter on clinical and education subjects.
