New CPR guidelines

Q Some years ago, I decided to take a course at the American Red Cross to learn the proper way to do CPR (cardiopulmonary rescusitation). I didn't want to find myself in a situation where I couldn't help someone who needed help. Now I hear that the CPR procedures have changed. Can you give me a description of the revised procedures?

M.L., Atlanta, Ga.

A The guidelines have changed recently, with more focus now on keeping the stricken person's blood flowing. As it was with the old guidelines, medical experts recommend that the first thing you should do is to call 9-1-1 when you come across someone who is in cardio-pulmonary distress.

First and foremost, doctors say you have to keep the blood circulating, so there is more emphasis on chest compressions. The old rules suggested two breaths and 15 compressions, but medical experts now suggest two breaths and 30 compressions.

In the past, doctors say they determined that most people have trouble checking and finding a pulse, so they now recommend that you proceed directly to chest compressions.

In earlier recommendations, the rules directed rescuers to intermittently stop chest compressions to check for signs of respiration and circulation. Now the main focus is to continue compressions without stopping to check to see if the victim is improving.

Doctors say sudden cardiac arrest causes the death of more than 300,000 Americans annually, and victims are usually stricken after a heart attack, electrocution or an incident of near drowning. It's estimated that 75 percent to 80 percent of all incidents of cardiac arrest that occur outside a medical facility happen at home, and physicians say proper CPR can double a victim's chances of survival.

Unfortunately, doctors say, the most common reason that people die from cardiac arrest is the fact that no one nearby knows CPR when people need help.

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