Science, Health & Tech
Mouth to mouth no longer a necessary part of CPR
The Pointer
sjens236@uwsp.edu
Only three years after updating CPR standards, the American Heart Association has introduced another change. Hands-only CPR is now a viable method for helping a person in need of medical assistance.
Not due for an update until 2010, the heart association made the addition because of several indications that the hands-only method was just as good as the “normal” CPR procedure. Three studies within the past year alone have shown the benefits of hands-only CPR. Because of this, mouth-free techniques will be introduced into CPR training courses.
Studies have shown that giving uninterrupted chest presses, 100 per minute, is just as effective as when mouth to mouth is added to the mix. Researchers feel the hands-only method might be a more viable option though as many people are hesitant to provide CPR due to fear of contracting infections.
It is estimated that people who receive CPR while waiting for medical attention have double or triple the chance of surviving as those who don’t. However, only about a third of cardiac sufferers receive this help. Every year around 31,000 Americans die due to cardiac arrest outside of hospitals or in emergency rooms. About six percent of those who fall ill outside of the hospital survive.
The new hands-only method is especially useful for adults who have collapsed suddenly, stopped breathing or are not responsive. These symptoms usually mean a person’s heart has suddenly stopped. Mouth to mouth is unnecessary because the sufferer still has plenty of air and blood in their system. Continuous compressions will help keep blood flowing to the brain, heart and other organs until professional help arrives.
For those suffering from breathing-related problems, mouth to mouth should still be employed, though most researchers agreed that any assistance is better than none. These types of problems include near-drownings, drug overdoses as well as carbon monoxide poisonings. If a child is the one in need of CPR, their problem is typically related to breathing and so mouth to mouth should be used in conjunction with chest compressions. Mouth to mouth allows air to get into the lungs and bloodstream.
Dr. Gordon Ewy has been pushing for the hands-only method for the last 15 years. As director of the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center in Tucson, the place where the hands-only technique was “invented,” was overjoyed at the heart association’s decision. Giving breaths takes time away from chest compressions, which are crucial to a cardiac arrest victim’s life. Ewy mentioned that often times the victims are taking in small gasps of breath on their own anyway.
Ewy also went on to add that when asked to honestly answer, most people wouldn’t willing give mouth to mouth CPR.
"When people are honest, they're not going to do it," he said. "It's not only the yuck factor."
Over the last several years, 911 dispatchers have even been educating callers on the mouth-free method.
"They love it. It's less complicated and the outcomes are better," said Dallas emergency medical services chief Dr. Paul Pepe.