New Updated Guidelines for CPR
Updated resuscitation guidelines refine how fast and how deep chest compressions should be during CPR – although it’s unlikely that a non-professional rescuer will notice.
The new rate of chest compressions is 100 to 120 compressions, or pushes, per minute, compared to “at least 100” in previous guidelines, according to the American Heart Association.
For adolescents and adults, a rescuer should push down at least 2 inches, but no more than 2.4 inches on the chest, compared to at least 2 inches in previous guidelines.
“Compressing more than 120 times per minute is pretty difficult and most people will naturally compress 100 to 110 times per minute,” said Clifton Callaway, M.D., chair of the AHA’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee.
The upper limit for depth came from one small study that suggested that injuries were possible with chest compressions beyond 2.4 inches.
However, “people should not be afraid of pushing hard,” said Callaway. “Ribs bend with chest compressions and the ‘injury’ is usually very mild. It definitely is not life-threatening.”
The AHA recommends that anyone who sees an adult suddenly collapse should call 911 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest, a technique known as Hands-Only CPR.
To read more about the new guidelines, please visit:
http://blog.heart.org/%EF%BB%BFnew-resuscitation-guidelines-update-cpr-chest-pushes/
