CPR Certification: What’s New in Guidelines
The latest guidelines for CPR emphasize teaching hands-only CPR to bystanders--but that's not all. It's important to know the key changes in these new guidelines so that you can better prepare yourself and your family members for when they need to act in an emergency.
The latest guidelines for CPR emphasize teaching hands-only CPR to bystanders--but that's not all.
Hands-only CPR is the latest recommendation for bystanders who witness a cardiac arrest. The guidelines emphasize teaching hands-only CPR to bystanders, followed by a pulse check after every 30 chest compressions. This means that you'll be performing 30 compressions before checking for a pulse, then repeating this cycle until help arrives or medical professionals take over care of the victim.
The guidelines also recommend minimizing interruptions during CPR so that your compressions stay as effective as possible, which means alternating between push-relax and hands-only CPR when necessary.
- Push-relax: Compress the person's chest at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep at a rate of 100 per minute; allow full recoil of each compression before delivering another one. Repeat this pattern until help arrives or medical professionals take over care of the victim. Hands only: Give continuous chest compressions without any pauses in between them until help arrives or medical professionals take over care of the victim
It's important to know the key changes in these new guidelines so that you can better prepare yourself and your family members for when they need to act in an emergency.
It's important to know the key changes in these new guidelines so that you can better prepare yourself and your family members for when they need to act in an emergency.
- CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths that are performed on someone who has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped beating, also known as cardiac arrest.
- ECC: Emergency cardiac care (ECC) refers to the steps taken by first responders, such as police officers or firefighters, after they arrive at the scene of an emergency call involving cardiac arrest. These steps include connecting AEDs (automated external defibrillators), providing CPR if needed and monitoring vitals until paramedics arrive with advanced life support equipment such as intravenous drugs or other advanced interventions that may be needed for patients who require them
Chest Compressions Are More Important Than Ventilations
In the new guidelines, there's a greater emphasis on chest compressions than ventilations. This is because chest compressions are the most important part of CPR and can help save someone's life even if they cannot breathe on their own.
If you're going to do CPR, you should use a metronome to keep time with your compressions so that you know how fast or slow you're going. You should aim for at least 100 chest compressions per minute when using an adult-sized victim (with an AED). The depth of each compression should be at least 2 inches deep--that's about the thickness of two fingers stacked together! Make sure that both hands stay in the same position on their sternum throughout all 30 seconds of each cycle; otherwise, they might slip off while performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation later on in this process (which could lead directly back into cardiac arrest).
Cardiac Arrest Is a Medical Emergency
Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. It requires immediate action, including CPR and calling 911.
If you are trained in CPR, don't wait for an ambulance to arrive before starting to help the person who has collapsed due to cardiac arrest. Call 911 and begin chest compressions immediately if you suspect that someone has had a cardiac arrest. Do not stop until help arrives or until the person begins breathing on their own (even if it takes more than one minute).
Minimize Interruptions During CPR
You should minimize interruptions during CPR. When a person is in cardiac arrest, their heart stops beating and there is no blood flow to their brain. If a person's heart does not start beating within 8 minutes of cardiac arrest, they will die due to lack of oxygenated blood reaching the brain. The only way to save them is by performing CPR and getting their heart going again so that it can pump blood around their body again--including getting oxygenated blood back into their brain!
CPR involves pressing down hard and fast on someone's chest (about 100-120 compressions per minute) while also providing breaths through an airway device such as an oral or nasal tube (15-20 breaths per minute). You must never stop doing either part because it could lead to death if done incorrectly--and this makes it difficult for anyone who isn't trained well enough in how exactly how much pressure should go into each step
Use a Pulse Check as Often as Possible During CPR
While performing CPR, you should check for a pulse as often as possible. If you are unable to find a pulse within 30 seconds of starting chest compressions, you should stop CPR and begin rescue breaths instead, according to the guidelines. If you are able to detect a pulse after 30 seconds of performing chest compressions but before 2 minutes (the amount of time it takes for brain cells to die), continue with chest compressions only until help arrives or the person starts breathing again on their own.
Alternate Between Hands-Only CPR and Push-Relax CPR Techniques Whenever Possible
In addition to the previous recommendations, the new guidelines also recommend that you alternate between hands-only CPR and push-relax CPR techniques whenever possible. This is called “Hands-Only” or compression-only CPR.
Push-Relax CPR Technique
The push-relax technique is a way to increase the amount of time you spend giving compressions by using an alternating hand pattern while performing chest compressions:
- Place both hands on top of each other over your victim's sternum (breastbone), with fingers interlaced (see Figure 1).
- Compress at least 2 inches deep; release all pressure before giving another compression; repeat at a rate of 100 times per minute until help arrives or until paramedics take over care for your patient
Takeaway:
The key changes in the new guidelines are:
- Hands-only CPR is emphasized. The latest guidelines emphasize teaching hands-only CPR to bystanders and other healthcare providers who may be first on the scene of an emergency. This approach has been shown to be as effective as standard chest compressions with rescue breaths for adult victims of cardiac arrest who have no pulse or are not breathing normally (i.e., agonal respirations).
- Hands-only CPR should be provided until emergency medical services (EMS) arrive, which could be minutes or hours later depending on where you live and how quickly EMS responds.
Conclusion
The changes to the guidelines for CPR are a big deal. They're designed to help people who witness cardiac arrest act quickly and effectively, saving lives in the process. If you want to learn more about what these new guidelines mean for you or someone close, talk with your doctor or other healthcare provider today!
