Hands-only CPR is OK, new guidelines say

Published 10:31 pm Monday, March 31, 2008

NEW YORK — You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life.

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, emergency-medicine professor at Ohio State University.

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, when the heart suddenly stops. In such a case, the victim still has ample air in the lungs, 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.

How to do hands-only CPR

The American Heart Association says bystanders who witness an adult’s sudden cardiac arrest can opt to perform hands-only CPR and skip mouth-to-mouth breathing. If someone collapses, stops normal breathing and is unresponsive to shaking:

n First, have someone call 911, or call yourself.

n Put the victim on the floor, face up.

n Put one hand on top of the other in the middle of the victim’s chest.

n Push hard and fast, 100 presses a minute.

n If there’s another bystander, take turns.

n Continue until paramedics take over.

n Use an automated external defibrillator if available.

Source: University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center