Info on CPR
DAN News
Hands-Only CPR Statement from DAN Education
Last Updated: 7/29/2010 4:53:36 PM
The American Heart Association recently released a position statement, intended to clarify cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for lay rescuers, regarding the use of compression-only CPR without delivering rescue breaths. This statement was issued to “amend and clarify the “2005 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC)” for bystanders who witness an adult out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest.”
Extensive research, completed since the 2005 guidelines were released, indicates the survival rates for full CPR are no better, and no worse, than compressions-only CPR. These studies discuss only the situation where a collapse was witnessed and only pertains to adults in non-choking and non-drowning scenarios.
The idea is that if the perceived barrier of delivering rescue breaths as part of CPR is removed, bystanders will be more likely to administer care to a collapsed adult.
While this change is important with regards to lay rescuers providing emergency care in the event of a collapse on the street, it will not affect the care of an unconscious diver. Loss of consciousness with cardiac arrest in water must always be assumed to include elements of drowning. For this reason, full CPR is still recommended. For the most part, the proposed changes do not translate to the diving environment.
The AHA ECC Committee admits this in their statement: “The AHA ECC Committee acknowledges that all victims of cardiac arrest will benefit from delivery of high-quality chest compressions but that some cardiac arrest victims (e.g., pediatric victims and victims of drowning, trauma, airway obstruction, acute respiratory diseases, and apnea) may benefit from additional interventions taught in a conventional CPR course. Therefore, the Committee continues to encourage the public to obtain training in CPR to learn the psychomotor skills required to care for a wide range of cardiovascular- and respiratory-related medical emergencies.”
DAN News
Hands-Only CPR Statement from DAN Education
Last Updated: 7/29/2010 4:53:36 PM
The American Heart Association recently released a position statement, intended to clarify cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for lay rescuers, regarding the use of compression-only CPR without delivering rescue breaths. This statement was issued to “amend and clarify the “2005 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC)” for bystanders who witness an adult out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest.”
Extensive research, completed since the 2005 guidelines were released, indicates the survival rates for full CPR are no better, and no worse, than compressions-only CPR. These studies discuss only the situation where a collapse was witnessed and only pertains to adults in non-choking and non-drowning scenarios.
The idea is that if the perceived barrier of delivering rescue breaths as part of CPR is removed, bystanders will be more likely to administer care to a collapsed adult.
While this change is important with regards to lay rescuers providing emergency care in the event of a collapse on the street, it will not affect the care of an unconscious diver. Loss of consciousness with cardiac arrest in water must always be assumed to include elements of drowning. For this reason, full CPR is still recommended. For the most part, the proposed changes do not translate to the diving environment.
The AHA ECC Committee admits this in their statement: “The AHA ECC Committee acknowledges that all victims of cardiac arrest will benefit from delivery of high-quality chest compressions but that some cardiac arrest victims (e.g., pediatric victims and victims of drowning, trauma, airway obstruction, acute respiratory diseases, and apnea) may benefit from additional interventions taught in a conventional CPR course. Therefore, the Committee continues to encourage the public to obtain training in CPR to learn the psychomotor skills required to care for a wide range of cardiovascular- and respiratory-related medical emergencies.”
