Do you know CPR?

[judobrian]

Buttercup is correct. Uninterrupted compressions increase the blood pressure and delivery to the coronary arteries, which feed the heart muscle. Stop the compressions (to give a breath, to check for a pulse) and the perfusion pressure plummets, starting from zero when the compressions restart.

Plus it is simpler - one reason people don't do CPR is they are afraid of "doing it wrong" - given all the various permutations of compressions and breaths one had to remember (15:2, 5:1, 30:2?) this is now easy to learn and remember. That, and removing the yuck factor is a plus as well.

This video is accurate for lay person hands only CPR.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxjxfB4zNk[/youtube]

[Fat Cat]

That was awesome.

[Sangoma]

Compression serve dual purpose: to pump the blood around and to compress the chest, which then recoils and pulls some air into the lungs. It is a known trick we use in apnoeic patients during gastroscopies: press on the lower part of the chest, and you can see capnography trace and saturation comes up. That's the reason they change the ratio or resp/compressions from 1:5 to 2:30. Respirations are only needed to make sure from time to time that the airway is patent.

Everyone should learn CPR, get a barrier device and do it. After all, wrong or right, what are you're going to lose? The patient cannot get any worse, he/she is already dead.

[Dunn]

"Compressions only" has more to do with sustained cardiac output during resuscitation than anything else if I understand correctly. The not filling the stomach with air and causing a pukey infectious mess (for rescuer and victim) is a big bonus though, too.
Like Dunn said, quality CPR saves more people than anything. In fact I've heard several times that trucks with basic EMTs have better survival rates than trucks with paramedics because basics just do CPR while medics focus on things like intubation which interrupt those quality compressions.

Bingo. I know plenty of medics that rarely get one back because of this reason in particular. Good quality compressions that are uninterrupted is key to survival next to early defibrillation.

[j-cubed]

I have had to take some wilderness first aid classes for leading groups into the wilderness. Part was re certification of my CPR.
Basically they said the same things as everyone mentioned regarding uninterrupted compressions.

They actually spent some time saying that on average quite a few more people die than are saved via cpr, and how people actually get depressed it didn't work, start second guessing themselves, etc.

Since it was wilderness first, we also got into the how long question. You are hours from the nearest help, how long do you keep do CPR while your friends go for help?

[buckethead]

Since it was wilderness first, we also got into the how long question. You are hours from the nearest help, how long do you keep do CPR while your friends go for help?

Until you get hungry

[nafod]

Since it was wilderness first, we also got into the how long question. You are hours from the nearest help, how long do you keep do CPR while your friends go for help?

Until you get hungry

Or are exhausted or start putting yourself in danger. No fixed time given in our training (ski patrol). We also do CPR when you can't detect a pulse, which doesn't mean there isn't one, especially with gear on.

[Howieeeeee]

I recently recertified. One of my prior instructors stated the same about not giving mouth-to-mouth to a stranger, and just going by way of compressions.

Compressions should be at the tempo of the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive". A bit quicker than most people think from watching it on television.

[Bud Charniga's grape ape]

Compressions should be at the tempo of the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive".

If you're feeling morbid, Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" is also at the correct tempo.

[buckethead]

Compressions should be at the tempo of the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive".

If you're feeling morbid, Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" is also at the correct tempo.

Compressions to Neil Peart will, however, kill the victim

[KingSchmaltzBagelHour]

I always scream "BREEEEEEATH!" When it's beyond hope, I stop compressions, look at Heaven above and bellow "NOOOOoooooo!!"

[Sangoma]

A corollary to the discussion: do NOT apply precordial thump. I heard plenty of stories by paramedics, when they arrive to the scene they find some big guy who keeps whacking the sternum of some poor unconscious victim, and has been doing it for the last twenty minutes, instead of a proper CPR. Outcomes of this are invariably bad.

Thump should be used 1)carefully 2)once or twice 3)in witnessed arrests only.

[johno]

I always scream "BREEEEEEATH!" When it's beyond hope, I stop compressions, look at Heaven above and bellow "NOOOOoooooo!!"

A couple slaps to the face also works.

[judobrian]

I have had the precordial thump work, but the normal heart rhythm only lasted about a minute as I did not hit him hard enough to dislodge the clot in his coronaries.

Re: wilderness CPR. If it is a heart issue (as opposed to a breathing issue due to Shape misdosing his "evening cocktail") - and you are hours from help, and have no defibrillator, and they have no pulse, just stop.

[Boris]

I just retook CPR after years of no classes. I consider myself to be in decent shape, but I was surprised at how tiring it was. Doing it for real would be exhausting.