Orange County CPR: What to know about hands only CPR

In an attempt to get more people to perform CPR the AHA is suggesting that if you witness sudden cardiac arrest of an Adult and you are unable or unwilling to perform mouth to mouth breaths, you may perform compressions only.

This Hands-Only technique does not apply to children under 12 years old or infants.

Compared to the full version of mouth to mouth CPR, the compressions only technique is not as effective the preferred method but it is better than doing nothing following a witnessed collapse of an adult. It is believed that the victim may have up to two minutes of air in the lungs that can be circulated. Realistically it will take the Fire Department paramedics 6-8 minutes to arrive on scene and take over. That would leave your victim without oxygen to the brain and other vital organs for over 4-6 minutes. In 3-4 minutes brain damage can occur, after 4 minutes it becomes permanent.

To perform Hands-Only CPR, you have to check that the victim is not breathing. Call 9-1-1. The easiest way to determine breathing is if the victim isn't moving, they are not breathing but the best indicator is to watch for Chest and/or abdominal rise in the victim. Next, align hands with fingers interlocked on victims sternum (breastbone) at the mid-nipple line. Simply begin continuous compressions at a rate of 100 per minute. Push full depth. The American Heart Association slogan is "Push hard, Push fast".

My greatest concern as a CPR instructor and professional rescuer is most folks do not carry any protection such as a CPR barrier mask or gloves with them. This leaves the rescuer vulnerable and with two options. Both options have its pros and cons. The first option (no mask) is not to perform mouth to mouth. This would prevent any risk of infection for you. On the flip side, it's not a good option for the victim. The second option is to do mouth to mouth without protection. This would give the victim a higher chance of survival but it's not a good option for you.

I would advise everyone to always be prepared by carrying a barrier mask, gloves and antimicrobial wipe. This combination keeps the rescuer safe and provides the maximum benefit for the victim.

About the Author
Hearts & Hoses is the premier resource for San Diego PALS Certification and San Diego ACLS Certification. They have over 14 years of experience in Emergency Medical Services, including pre-hospital and emergency room patient care. They also offer courses in San Diego PALS Training, San Diego PALS Certification and San Diego PALS Courses.

Our services include the American Heart Association ACLS Certification . Many of our instructors are certified paramedics who can schedule ACLS Classes for you. Please feel free to give us a call at 760.814.5127 or visit our site at http://heartsandhoses.com