CPR Not as Effective as Chest Compressions Alone

patiwat writes "A Japanese study detailed in the New York Times has found that people suffering from cardiac arrest were more likely to recover without brain damage if rescuers focused on chest compressions rather than on rescue breaths. Some experts advised dropping the mouth-to-mouth part of CPR altogether. Interrupting chest compression to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation might do more harm than good if blood flow to the heart was not properly re-established, a researcher from Tokyo's Surugadai Nihon University Hospital said. According to the article, 'More than 300,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest each year. Roughly 9 out of 10 cardiac arrest victims die before they get to a hospital — partly because they do not get CPR.'"

Comments

Re:Wow

[Philip K Dickhead]

Good! There's soooo many more lives that I'd save, without the mouth part!

Re:Wow

[AuMatar]

Kicking him while he's down is allowed, right?

As a rescue technician

[Anonymous Coward]

After each 1 minute of pumping someone's chest, i like to teabag the victim for about 30 seconds.

Re:As a rescue technician

[gardyloo]

I think that, by definition, anyone even approached by you is a victim, whether their heart has stopped yet or not.

Terrible News

[iamdrscience]

Could this be the end of being able to trick hot teenage lifeguards into making out with you?

Re:Actually...

[mollymoo]

In the field and in the hospital, it's not uncommon for the person doing chest compressions to stop occasionally to perform an intervention.

I know addictions can be bad for your health, but decding to tackle them in the middle of a heart attack is a bit extreme.