Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010
New encouragement for hands-only CPR
Firm instructions from emergency dispatchers makes bystanders more likely to help save victims, studies say.
ATLANTA -- More bystanders are willing to attempt CPR if an emergency dispatcher gives them firm and direct instructions -- especially if they can just press on the chest and skip the mouth-to-mouth, according to new research.
The two new studies, one conducted by the University of Washington, conclude that "hands-only" chest compression is enough to save a life. They are the largest and most rigorous yet to suggest that breathing into a victim's mouth isn't needed in most cases.
An estimated 310,000 Americans die each year of cardiac arrest outside hospitals or in emergency rooms. Only about 6 percent of those who are stricken outside a hospital survive.
When someone collapses and stops breathing, many people panic and believe that phoning 911 is the best they can do to help.
The larger of the two new studies reported survival rates of about 12 percent when bystanders did dispatcher-directed CPR, confirming earlier research that on-scene CPR can dramatically increase a victim's odds of survival.
The studies also spotlighted the importance of having forceful dispatchers coaching bystanders, said Dr. Michael Sayre, an Ohio State University emergency medicine specialist who helped update the American Heart Association guidelines on CPR.
Previous research has suggested that adults who need CPR get it only about one-quarter to one-third of the time when bystanders are around.
One of the new studies found that when dispatchers told callers to start CPR, about 80 percent attempted it when given hands-only instructions, more than the 70 percent who tried the standard version.
Sayre and others credited the increase on dispatchers who immediately told callers what to do, instead of first asking them if they'd had CPR training or if they'd be willing to try it until medical help arrives.
"This study shows that with great training and motivation, the 911 call taker can make a big difference," Sayre said.
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a technique that's been in use for about 50 years. The standard version now calls for alternating 30 hard pushes on a victim's chest with two quick breaths into their mouth.
The aim of CPR is to do some of the mechanical work of the heart by forcing at least some blood and oxygen to the brain and other vital organs.
Experts have come to believe that pumping is what's most important in most adult cases, and advise doing chest pushes continually at a rate of 100 per minute and skipping the mouth-to-mouth.
Some suggest using the beat of the classic disco song "Stayin' Alive" as a guide.
The two new studies, one conducted by the University of Washington, conclude that "hands-only" chest compression is enough to save a life. They are the largest and most rigorous yet to suggest that breathing into a victim's mouth isn't needed in most cases.
An estimated 310,000 Americans die each year of cardiac arrest outside hospitals or in emergency rooms. Only about 6 percent of those who are stricken outside a hospital survive.
When someone collapses and stops breathing, many people panic and believe that phoning 911 is the best they can do to help.
The larger of the two new studies reported survival rates of about 12 percent when bystanders did dispatcher-directed CPR, confirming earlier research that on-scene CPR can dramatically increase a victim's odds of survival.
The studies also spotlighted the importance of having forceful dispatchers coaching bystanders, said Dr. Michael Sayre, an Ohio State University emergency medicine specialist who helped update the American Heart Association guidelines on CPR.
Previous research has suggested that adults who need CPR get it only about one-quarter to one-third of the time when bystanders are around.
One of the new studies found that when dispatchers told callers to start CPR, about 80 percent attempted it when given hands-only instructions, more than the 70 percent who tried the standard version.
Sayre and others credited the increase on dispatchers who immediately told callers what to do, instead of first asking them if they'd had CPR training or if they'd be willing to try it until medical help arrives.
"This study shows that with great training and motivation, the 911 call taker can make a big difference," Sayre said.
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a technique that's been in use for about 50 years. The standard version now calls for alternating 30 hard pushes on a victim's chest with two quick breaths into their mouth.
The aim of CPR is to do some of the mechanical work of the heart by forcing at least some blood and oxygen to the brain and other vital organs.
Experts have come to believe that pumping is what's most important in most adult cases, and advise doing chest pushes continually at a rate of 100 per minute and skipping the mouth-to-mouth.
Some suggest using the beat of the classic disco song "Stayin' Alive" as a guide.
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