Big shake up in the world of CPR yesterday. In case you haven't heard the news, the American Heart Association announced yesterday that it's backing compression only CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults. Why do I care? For those who don't know, my 'day job' is running a CPR training business. Unfortunately I can't make a living bitching on blogs about birth and breastfeeding- so I just save that for my spare time activity. When I'm being gainfully employed I roam about the city teaching people how to save lives. I got an email from the powers that be telling me to start teaching the new way- NOW. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the new changes and rushing to read the research so I know what to tell my trainers. Apparently the new data is so compelling (in number of lives saved by the new technique) that AHA couldn't wait until 2010 to make the change (they usually implement new changes every 5 years after their big research conference) . The last big change of 30 compressions, 2 breaths took place in 2005. So starting today, here it is folks:
For adults only do compressions (pushing hard and fast in the middle of the chest, between the nipples with both hands one on top of another, about 2 inches deep into the chest). Do the compressions at the rate of 100 per minute until help arrives. How fast is 100 per minute? Sing the BeeGees song "Ha, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive, ha, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive" The cadence of this song is 100 beats per minute. Simply push to the rhythm of the song. And don't stop until help arrives. (You did have someone call 911 didn't you???)
Children and infants, and adults who have drowned or suffered a drug overdose should still get 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
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