PINELLAS COUNTY – The American Heart Association said chest compressions alone are as effective as conventional CPR on adult victims who suddenly collapse.
Hands-Only CPR only consists of two steps: Call 911 then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
Dr. Charles Sand said he’s excited about this report and that it’s long overdue. Sand is former president of the American Heart Association, Florida/Puerto Rico affiliate and emergency room physician at St. Joseph’s hospital in Tampa.
“The bottom line is nationally there’s a 5- or 6-percent rate of cardiac arrest,” Sand said, “and the biggest reason is that CPR is not done. Only about 30 percent of people get CPR.”
Many people are scared to deliver CPR because they’re afraid of germs contracted during mouth-to-mouth or they forget how to do it correctly, Sand said. As a physician, he said he often sees people come in with cardiac arrest who did not receive CPR before the EMS arrived.
“Just push on the chest,” Sand said. “Push hard, push fast, and we’ll double or triple the number of people we bring back.”
About 310,000 people in the United States die each year due to cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association. Chances of survival decreases between 7- and 10-percent each minute without effective CPR, it states.
The new recommendation of Hands-Only CPR is an update to the “2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC”, which previously said compression-only CPR should only be used if bystanders are unwilling or unable to deliver rescue breaths.
Evidence from three studies in 2007 revealed no negative impact from Hands-Only CPR compared with conventional CPR.
The body slows down when the heart stops, Sand said, so the body doesn’t need as much oxygen as usual. The bloodstream usually has enough oxygen to maintain cell life for five or six minutes as long as there is blood flow, he said.
Preferably deliver about 100 compressions per minute with minimal interruptions. A good pace is to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, Sand said.
The American Heart Association still recommends conventional CPR training.
Hands-Only CPR should not be used on infants, children, or people whose cardiac arrest is from respiratory causes such as drug overdose or near drowning.
To learn more about Hands-Only CPR or where to take CPR classes, go to www.americanheart.org.
![[Image]](/content_images/041608_pco-01.jpg)
