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http://www.windsorstar.com/health/guidelines+abandon+kiss+life/3690171/story.html
New life-saving CPR guidelines call on rescuers to skip mouth-to-mouth and just keep pushing on the chest.
Too many precious seconds were being wasted going back and forth from compression in the rib cage to provide mouth-to-mouth — while others hesitated — so a consortium of stakeholders has called for hands-only rescue under the new CPR protocol being released this week across Canada.
“We are definitely supportive,” said Brian Bildfell, chief of Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services.
“What it will do is take hesitancy away from the public in starting CPR.
“We are very lucky the public in this area — more than others — jumps right in (to perform CPR) and this will just add to it.”
More than 250 paramedics across Windsor and Essex County switched to bag valve masks 20-plus years ago, while the number of available defibrillators in public locations has also dramatically increased, Bildfell noted.
“But this is something that had been discussed for a period of time,” he said. “It’s a great incentive for people to just start CPR on the street until we can get there.”
The switch is huge because it clarifies resuscitation efforts for rescuers well versed in CPR skills and those who know nothing, said Dr. Andrew Travers, an emergency physician in Halifax and chairman of the The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s policy advisory committee on resuscitation, which co-authored the new guidelines.
“The average person can do something to save a life — compression-only CPR,” Travers said.
The changes emphasize life savers should just push hard and fast on the centre of the chest with at least 100 compressions per minute. Previous guidelines called for 30 compressions on the chest to be alternated with two mouth-to-mouth breaths.
Recent U.S. studies showed seconds were being lost going back and forth, or victims were dying because would-be rescuers were hesitating.
An analysis published last week by The Lancet found cardiac arrest victims are 22 per cent more likely to survive if rescuers skip mouth-to-mouth breathing and, guided by 911 dispatchers, do chest compressions only.
“This is good news for patients because it reflects the different ways people respond to cardiac arrest,” Travers said. “It gives a different option.
“Even with people trained in CPR there are reservations because, a lot of times, they worry their skills are not right or (they fear) contracting something from the patient. Compression-only overcomes those limitations.
“Just apply chest compressions. All rescuers, regardless of training, should give effective chest compressions until paramedics arrive.”
St. John Ambulance also supports the new CPR guidelines, said Alan Milner, business administrator for the organization — a lead agency in providing instruction for the life-saving technique. But St. John won’t alter teaching methods in its CPR classes until next year, he said.
“We will be changing, but that’s going to depend on Ontario council to change the books,” Milner said. “Next, we have to teach instructors the new protocols and then we can pass it on to students. That won’t be until some time in 2011.”
Dr. Donald Levy, chief of Emergency Medicine at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital — this region’s cardiac care centre — described the CPR change as a positive direction.
“There has been good evidence in the last two years that strongly demonstrates adult patients receiving CPR have just as much benefit from compression only,” he said.
“They have just as good quality of outcome when they arrive at the hospital — and long-term after being discharged.
“I think when you have more people doing (CPR) you will end up saving even more lives.”
The changes do not apply to infants, children or in cases where cardiac arrest is related to near-drowning, choking or other respiratory ailments. For those victims, the complete CPR technique, which includes both chest compressions and rescue breathing, is recommended.
But if rescuers are hesitant for any reason, chest compression is better than nothing, Levy said.
“But for those patients,, if a person is comfortable in training, they should do airway breathing in conjunction with compressions,” he said.
About 40,000 Canadians experience cardiac arrest each year. Without CPR and defibrillation, less than five per cent of those who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital survive.
“There are very few things in medicine where you can double your chance of surviving,” Levy said. “(CPR) is one of them.”
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/health/guidelines+abandon+kiss+life/3690171/story.html#ixzz12lmvcx4F
New life-saving CPR guidelines call on rescuers to skip mouth-to-mouth and just keep pushing on the chest.
Too many precious seconds were being wasted going back and forth from compression in the rib cage to provide mouth-to-mouth — while others hesitated — so a consortium of stakeholders has called for hands-only rescue under the new CPR protocol being released this week across Canada.
“We are definitely supportive,” said Brian Bildfell, chief of Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services.
“What it will do is take hesitancy away from the public in starting CPR.
“We are very lucky the public in this area — more than others — jumps right in (to perform CPR) and this will just add to it.”
More than 250 paramedics across Windsor and Essex County switched to bag valve masks 20-plus years ago, while the number of available defibrillators in public locations has also dramatically increased, Bildfell noted.
“But this is something that had been discussed for a period of time,” he said. “It’s a great incentive for people to just start CPR on the street until we can get there.”
The switch is huge because it clarifies resuscitation efforts for rescuers well versed in CPR skills and those who know nothing, said Dr. Andrew Travers, an emergency physician in Halifax and chairman of the The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s policy advisory committee on resuscitation, which co-authored the new guidelines.
“The average person can do something to save a life — compression-only CPR,” Travers said.
The changes emphasize life savers should just push hard and fast on the centre of the chest with at least 100 compressions per minute. Previous guidelines called for 30 compressions on the chest to be alternated with two mouth-to-mouth breaths.
Recent U.S. studies showed seconds were being lost going back and forth, or victims were dying because would-be rescuers were hesitating.
An analysis published last week by The Lancet found cardiac arrest victims are 22 per cent more likely to survive if rescuers skip mouth-to-mouth breathing and, guided by 911 dispatchers, do chest compressions only.
“This is good news for patients because it reflects the different ways people respond to cardiac arrest,” Travers said. “It gives a different option.
“Even with people trained in CPR there are reservations because, a lot of times, they worry their skills are not right or (they fear) contracting something from the patient. Compression-only overcomes those limitations.
“Just apply chest compressions. All rescuers, regardless of training, should give effective chest compressions until paramedics arrive.”
St. John Ambulance also supports the new CPR guidelines, said Alan Milner, business administrator for the organization — a lead agency in providing instruction for the life-saving technique. But St. John won’t alter teaching methods in its CPR classes until next year, he said.
“We will be changing, but that’s going to depend on Ontario council to change the books,” Milner said. “Next, we have to teach instructors the new protocols and then we can pass it on to students. That won’t be until some time in 2011.”
Dr. Donald Levy, chief of Emergency Medicine at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital — this region’s cardiac care centre — described the CPR change as a positive direction.
“There has been good evidence in the last two years that strongly demonstrates adult patients receiving CPR have just as much benefit from compression only,” he said.
“They have just as good quality of outcome when they arrive at the hospital — and long-term after being discharged.
“I think when you have more people doing (CPR) you will end up saving even more lives.”
The changes do not apply to infants, children or in cases where cardiac arrest is related to near-drowning, choking or other respiratory ailments. For those victims, the complete CPR technique, which includes both chest compressions and rescue breathing, is recommended.
But if rescuers are hesitant for any reason, chest compression is better than nothing, Levy said.
“But for those patients,, if a person is comfortable in training, they should do airway breathing in conjunction with compressions,” he said.
About 40,000 Canadians experience cardiac arrest each year. Without CPR and defibrillation, less than five per cent of those who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital survive.
“There are very few things in medicine where you can double your chance of surviving,” Levy said. “(CPR) is one of them.”
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/health/guidelines+abandon+kiss+life/3690171/story.html#ixzz12lmvcx4F
