The new American heart association 20120 CPR guidelines emphasize:
- Compressions first
Then immediately deliver the 100 chest compressions a minute and it is highly recommended to avoid lags in the chest compressions. The chest compressions should have a depth of 2 inches for adults and 1.5 inches for infants. Again, the arms should be straight, avoid leaning and the strength should come from the shoulders and not the arms. By mimicking the pumping action of the heart, the blood on the veins (that still contains oxygen) will be effectively transported to the vital organs of the body especially the brain.
- Push hard and push fast
The simplified form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR focuses on giving chest compressions to keep the blood and the oxygen in the blood flowing to the heart and brain. The landmark of chest compressions is between the 4th and 5th rib or nipple line.
- Compressions first or “CAB” is now going to be a standard
-compress first
-check airway
-give rescue breaths
The American Heart Association has changed the CPR sequence from ABC (airway, breathing and circulation) to CAB (Compressions, Airway, and Breathing). For 40 years the sequence of ABC has been followed in which the top priority is opening and maintaining an open airway to allow the air to ventilate the victim’s lungs by doing the head tilt chin life maneuver.
Second, the victim’s breathing is the next priority. The emergency response provider gives rescue breaths to the cardiac arrest victim with two breaths for every thirty chest compressions. Then follows the chest compressions, the chest compressions as exhibited by the use of the rescuer’s hands and arms (the arms must be straight). The compressing force should be coming from the rescuer’s shoulders instead of the rescuer’s arms.
Chest compressions are given at a rate of 30 chest compressions per cycle (approximately 24 seconds per cycle). But studies have shown that most bystanders who have witnessed a cardiac arrest event are hesitating to give a mouth to mouth resuscitation or are busy memorizing the instructions on the phone provided by an emergency personnel and that wastes a lot of time. The six minutes time after a cardiac arrest event is crucial for the victim and when it’s past 6 minutes already, irreversible brain damage has occurred which is terribly contributing to the mortality rate.
Before you start providing CPR, remember to do the following:
- Survey the scene if it is safe, if not, then transfer yourself and the victim, as well as the bystanders to a secure area
- Check the victim if he or she is really unconscious by tapping him or her lightly in the shoulders and calling attention by shouting
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