CPR has now been revised to just chest presses-will this really make others volunteer in crisis or fearful?

Question

While its told by many responders to first dial 911 then perform CPR to assist the victim, some have been afraid to due to inexperience or fear they will cause more harm to the individual.

So let's have an honest forum and tell the truth..will the new CPR changes really make people react or simply halt due to fear or inexperience.

Answer 1

There are a lot of reasons people are fearful to do CPR, but one of them is the whole 'mouth to mouth' bit.

Compression-only CPR (C-CPR) certainly won't deal with EVERY issue, but if it helps people get involved AT ALL, it will be a benefit.

Keep in mind- the press releases are over-simplified. The major  teaching groups (American Heart Association, American Red Cross, National Safety Council) say the same things...

- C-CPR should only be done on adults that you see go down. If the victim is a child or infant, or you did not witness the collapse, breaths should be given if at all possible.

- As of yet, this will not impact any CPR-certified program, although all three groups have suggested that they will add it to lay-person revisions in the next year or so.

There are still some glitches with C-CPR, but it has a great track record of saving lives.

Answer 2

It is advisable to get someone else to call 999 whilst another begins chest compressions, however, it is not advisable to begin CPR if not fully educated in the procedure.  There are many first aid courses available to all ,being educated and proficient in CPR will eliminate fear and apprehension.