For Lance.
NEW YORK (March 31) – You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life. In a major change, the American Heart Association said Monday that hands-only CPR – rapid, deep presses on the victim’s chest until help arrives – works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.”You only have to do two things. Call 911 and push hard and fast on the middle of the person’s chest,” said Dr. Michael Sayre, an emergency medicine professor at Ohio State University who headed the committee that made the recommendation….Hands-only CPR calls for uninterrupted chest presses – 100 a minute – until paramedics take over or an automated external defibrillator is available to restore a normal heart rhythm.This action should be taken only for adults who unexpectedly collapse, stop breathing and are unresponsive. The odds are that the person is having cardiac arrest – the heart suddenly stops – which can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems. In such a case, the victim still has ample air in the lungs and blood and compressions keep blood flowing to the brain, heart and other organs.A child who collapses is more likely to primarily have breathing problems – and in that case, mouth-to-mouth breathing should be used. That also applies to adults who suffer lack of oxygen from a near-drowning, drug overdose, or carbon monoxide poisoning. In these cases, people need mouth-to-mouth to get air into their lungs and bloodstream.
http://news.aol.com/health/story/_a/in-major-shift-cpr-technique-simplified/20080331193109990001
They’re just reporting on this now. I had this information from an acls booklet over a year ago. I still feel this is risky considering the many hugh poss. of the individual going down due to the reasons mentioned at the end of the article. Maybe start off by hyperventilating the pt and then proceeding w the compressions
brad: I agree somewhat. The success rates do appear much higher though. Is it perfect, of course not but it is something that really should be looked into.
I have had to give CPR once where the woman had alcohol poisoning. In between her heart stopping, getting her to breath and clearing out the vomit, I was constantly worried about what I was blowing down into her lungs. The paramedics arrived in time and she suffered only a less than honerable discharge.
If I had to breath less and just pump her heart, I think it would have still worked.
Worth thinking about.
There’s an additional benefit to successful resuscitation: we can ask the victim if he/she saw a brilliant white light at the end of a long blue tunnel.
This is soooo of topic, but all my dog friends think everybody should know this:
If you have a dog… PLEASE read this and send it on. If you don’t have a dog, please pass along to friends who do. Written by:Laurinda Morris, DVM> > Danville Veterinary Clinic, Danville , Ohio
This week I had the first case in history of RASIN TOXCIDITY ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn’t call my emergency service until 7AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn’t seen any formal paper on this. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me – had heard something about it, but….Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give I.V. fluids at 1 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
The dog’s BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine! over 5 ( 1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an I.V. catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn’t control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case – great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. POISON CONTROL SAID AS FEW AS 7 RAISINS OR GRAPES COULD BE TOXIC. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler’s. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
Even if you don’t have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Well, the difference between this and that is that provides a much higher pressurized way for air get into the lungs in between compressions (blowing air into the lungs), while this only allows for atmospheric pressures to repressurize the lungs in between compressions. I think the old way is better, but this way is still good.
GodFree:
This is true. Dogs love raisins and once in a while I would give them 1 or 2 as a treat. Until I found that it could kill them. Thought it was a hoax but checked it out. They have been raisin free for over a year now.
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp
And god free for their whole life. Very happy critters if I may say.
DD, I agree that what increases an individual chance to survive and makes it easier for another to provide life saving interventions is a good thing. In situations like cardiac arrest, this is a good thing. My main issue is how is a lay person to know the difference. Another potential issue with this is choking victims. What if an individual passes out from lack of o2 due to choking. If someone walks in after the fact they may not know the cause and just start compressions. In these cases is there enough o2 left in the lungs or has the individual used it all up prior to passing out. Providing initial breaths allows the rescuer to recognize whether or not an airway obstruction is presence. Being able to remove the foreign body within a minute wouild go much further than providing compressions for 6 to 10 mins as u wait for the medics to arrive.
DD, I agree that what increases an individual chance to survive and makes it easier for another to provide life saving interventions is a good thing. In situations like cardiac arrest, this is a good thing. My main issue is how is a lay person to know the difference. Another potential issue with this is choking victims. What if an individual passes out from lack of o2 due to choking. If someone walks in after the fact they may not know the cause and just start compressions. In these cases is there enough o2 left in the lungs or has the individual used it all up prior to passing out. Providing initial breaths allows the rescuer to recognize whether or not an airway obstruction is presence. Being able to remove the foreign body within a minute wouild go much further than providing compressions for 6 to 10 mins as u
wait for the medics to arrive.
brad, that is one reason, training is still a good idea. I think RC should start training this method if they are not already.
It would be much simpler to ensure the airway is clear, get a breath in them of clean air, then just start the compressions. So much easier than the method I was taught.
Maybe the reason that this alternate form of CPR is “just as effective” is because CPR simply isn’t very effective in the first place.
I’ve heard of multiple cases where CPR caused fractured ribs and other complications. Is there any evidence that CPR is actually beneficial?
You’re just as likely to break someone’s ribs during the Heimlich.
I’ve seen 2 people “drown”, then be resuscitated by CPR.
Injuries that may or may not be sustained are collateral damage.
rdmiller:
Of course it is benificial. If it only save 1% of the people, it would still be benificial, especially if you were that 1%
Cracked ribs are due primarialy due to not being instructed properly or not at all.
rdmiller3,
This from the American Heart Association:
OMG ANT-CHRISTIAN TEACHER BEING SUED!! BLOG POST NOWS!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,345274,00.html
I don’t know,I think his comments were a little much. Teaching historical facts is one thing, but trying to prove Christians are more likely to be rapist to a High School class is wrong (IMO).
brad:
What establishment of religion was respected?
What prohibition of free speech was denied?
He did not say xtianity was wrong or invalid or anything else. Did not support one religion over another.
Quoted statistics.
I seriously hope he does not apologize.
Take it to the supreme court and show the facts.
he seems kinda strong. I mean, I know we only have a few quotes off a news story to go by but it sounds like he was unloading some personal bias on the students, and thats not nice.
to be honest though, it sounds more akin to racism than indoctrination, not that that is any better (probobly worse).
ie: he seemed to be railing about christains, not christianity.
FlyingWeasel: You do have a point. I felt kind of uneasy about what he said, but you put a finger on it with the racism card. It is not a race but a culture thing.
Anyway, OT, thought this was cute, especially the last line.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,345488,00.html
Just can’t win for trying I guess.
DD,
Sorry, I should have been a bit more clearer. I was commenting only on my opiinion on the comments the teacher made, not the merits (or lack of) of the lawsuit.
brad: I agree. Quite uncool of a comment by him. Lawsuit? Not a leg to stand on.
Unless, this was all taken out of context that is. I would like to see the whole transaction.