Continuous Chest Compression CPR—University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center

What would you do if see or hear someone collapse
who is not responsive?
You know to call 911 (or country's emergency number).
But did you know that if you start Continuous Chest
Compressions, the new CPR
without mouth-to-mouth breathing,
that you will double the person's chance of survival?
Continuous Chest Compression CPR is a new technique
that is easier to learn, easier to perform, and more effective
than traditional CPR, than recommended rescue breathing.
And you do not need to be certified
to perform this life-saving procedure.
If you witness someone collapse from sudden cardiac arrest,
taking prompt action could save their life
by following these simple steps: First, place the person
on his back on a hard surface.
Check for responsiveness by shaking and shouting
at the person or rubbing their chest bone hard
with your knuckles.
The person's clothing is not removed.
Next, command someone to call 911(or country's emergency number) -- "Call 911."
-- or make the call yourself.
Then begin chest compressions.
>> You aim for the Center of the chest,
usually between the nipples.
Put the heel of one hand there.
You put the heel of the other hand on top of there.
And you lock your elbows.
And the reason for that is that no one is strong enough
to do 100 compressions a minute.
And then you put your shoulders directly over the center
of the chest and you fall, compressing it about 2 inches.
>> It's important that the hands are lifted from the chest
after each compression.
>> That's because the recoil of the chest --
that causes a little vacuum in the chest --
causes air to go in and blood to come back.
It's also important to pump on the chest fast at a rate
of 100 times per minute.
An easy way to maintain that beat is to think of a disco song
like "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.
>> It turns out if you try to do 100 times a minute,
even if you're not perfect, you have the best chance
of getting the most flow.
>> It is a jab-jab-jab-jab rapid pumping action to move
that blood forward to the brain.
Dr. Gordon A. Ewy and Dr. Karl B. Kern are the pioneers
of Continuous Chest Compression CPR.
Both are cardiac researchers at the Sarver Heart Center
in Tucson and professors at the University
of Arizona College of Medicine.
They explained, with Continuous Chest Compression CPR,
you don't check for a pulse, clear the airway,
or do mouth-to-mouth breathing.
All you do is pump on the chest.
>> In cardiac arrest, the heart is actually fibrillating
and not pumping any blood forward at all, so it's only
when you press on the chest that you're squeezing the heart
and making a heartbeat.
So your chest compression -- each chest compression --
is their heart beat; and if you stop for anything,
blood flow to the brain stops.
>> These chest compressions should be performed even
if the victim is gasping.
>> Gasping is a sign of cardiac arrest.
And we have so many people that tell us, "Oh,
my husband was snoring last night,
I) woke up this morning and he was gone."
So that gasping is critically important; it's been reported
to occur in 55 percent of cardiac arrests.
>> And don't worry, this pumping action won't hurt the victim.
>> They're dying; they're soon to be dead.
And no matter what you do, you can't make them worse.
>> Better to break a rib than to let somebody die.
I think they'll all be sore but they'll be happy
to shake your hand and thank you.
Studies show Continuous Chest Compression CPR is more
effective than traditional CPR for individuals
who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr. Kern explains why.
>> I think there's really two major reasons.
First is that more people will do it.
It's simpler, it's easier to remember and frankly,
it's not so intimidating.
And secondly, we learn
that attempting the mouth-to-mouth breathing is not
without its own cost.
Most lay people in seriousness cannot get the breaths
in anyway.
Q. But isn't ventilation necessary
to provide oxygen to the blood?
A. If it's an adult who collapses
by primary ventricular fibrillation,
they typically have enough oxygen already in their body.
It's a matter of circulating that oxygen to the tissues
that need it, most importantly, the brain and the heart,
so you can respond to treatment.
>> For every minute you delay CPR,
the survival rate drops by nearly 10 percent.
So if you wait minutes there's less
than a 50-percent chance now of surviving.
>> That's why it's critical that you pump
on the chest continuously without stopping
until paramedics or medical assistance arrive.
OF course, that can get tiring
so if another person is available,
have them take a position on the opposite side of the patient
so the two of you can alternate chest compressions.
And remember, you do not have to be certified
to provide this life-saving technique.
Because of the Good Samaritan laws, you are not at legal risk.
Every minute someone dies from sudden cardiac arrest;
it's the number one killer in the United States.
It can happen to anyone, any time,
any place, without warning.
And your best chance for survival is
if someone does Continuous Chest Compression CPR.
But it's very important to note
that Continuous Chest Compression CPR is not
for infants, or small children, or for someone drowning.
Here, the best approach is chest compression along
with mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
But even then, something is better than nothing.
Continuous Chest Compression CPR may very well make you
a life-saver.
For more information
about Continuous Chest Compression CPR,
visit the Sarver Heart Center website at the University
of Arizona, or the State of Arizona Share website.
This is Anne Peterson reporting.