Chest Compressions More Important than Mouth-to-Mouth in CPR

All those jokes about giving someone mouth-to-mouth resuscitation must stop. A recent study in The Lancet shows that chest compressions are far more important when performing CPR. The American Heart Association recommends 30 presses for every two breaths taken but it may be more important to keep the blood moving through the body, particularly to the brain.

• 22% of those who received just chest compressions survived with good neurological function
• 10% of those who received combination CPR (15 presses per two breaths) survived with good neurological function

These findings apply only to adult patients who have cardiac arrest in front of witnesses who can perform CPR. It’s not clear whether other victims of cardiac arrest from causes like near-drowning or electrocution will benefit from a compression-only approach.

Learn more from The Lancet podcast (mp3).

NB: I suppose the jokes will never end. Former president George Bush complained of being given the kiss of life by a male friend, instead of “six beautiful girls,” after fainting on the golf course.

NY Times, March 17, 2007

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Tags: george bush, heart, heart disease, cpr, heart attack, cardiac arrest, diseases, illness, health, medicine