Several studies have ben done recently to eliminate what was once a vital step in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).The memnonic of CPR is ABC, Airway,Breath and Compression of the chest. The American Heart Association is promoting the elimination of giving the victim 2 breaths at any time. The studies show that people can be revived without them. Rescuers have always been apprehensive about catching germs or diseases from their victims. The more courageous rescuers just jump in and follow the CPR Guidelines by protocol. The more timid ones try to do their duty and pray that they will be safe from an airborn disease like Tuberculosis.

CPR Guidelines have changed over time and those of us who were required to recertify our CPR certificates in order to comply with our jobs have had to adjust to those changes. If you thought you knew the training after having done it for 5 years in a row, you suddenly found new sequences added or deleted to be learned and old practices to forget. Defibrillation was added to CPR  in the 1960′s.

Pre cordial chest thump was one of my first changes. A chest thump was given after determining an arrest. Unfortunately on one occasion a patient’s lead had fallen off as he lay sleeping. The nurse called a code due to the monitor’s flatline and he was rudely awakened by a pounding sensation on his chest. Who do you think was more startled? The Code team or the patient?

The 2 new studies reported a 12% increase in dispatcher guided CPR with no breaths given. Hands -only may become our next change. More bystanders maybe more willing to help if their mouth to mouth breaths can be eliminated.