Heart help: Anyone can do it

By Valerie Melton
THE JOPLIN GLOBE (JOPLIN, Mo.)

May 01, 2008 05:53 pm

— We would all like to believe that in the event a stranger was experiencing cardiac arrest, we would not hesitate to act.
However, recent statistics published in the Journal of the American Heart Association show otherwise. The study revealed that the likelihood of bystanders providing assistance remained low in most cities, with individuals responding just 27 percent to 33 percent of the time.
These statistics, coupled with recent information on the importance of rapid chest compression has led the American Heart Association to endorse a new cardiopulmonary resuscitation method.
Hands-only CPR is a compression-focused source of resuscitation to be used on adults experiencing interrupted breathing or heart attack-like symptoms, until professional help arrives.
Rayla Kanakis, a registered Screen Team technician and certified CPR trainer with Freeman Health System, said the aim of the new method is “CPR without the mouth-to-mouth part.”

Acting under pressure
While Kanakis still recommends that people attend a certified CPR training course, she is confident that the new technique will benefit both children and adults.
“Focusing on compression minimizes the time lost by worrying about things off the chest like watching it rise and fall,” she said. “Also, if one bystander performs chest compressions and gets to the point of exhaustion, another individual can jump right in where they left off.”
Experts agree that in order for the victim to have the best odds at survival, 100 uninterrupted compressions per minute must be administered.
In an effort to aid people in counting compression, some suggest pumping the middle of the chest, one hand on top of the other, to the beat of the 1977 Bee Gees hit single “Staying Alive” - no pun intended.
While the AHA endorses the technique for adults, they still recommend using traditional methods for children and victims of drowning. The Journal believes that the likelihood of a child needing CPR due to cardiac symptoms are low and that if an individual is drowning, using mouth to mouth resuscitation may provide better results in oxygenating blood flow.

Why people don’t act
Many times, bystanders will not help someone experiencing heart trouble because they don’t know what to do.
“Studies have found that people who didn’t feel as though they’d been properly trained were less likely or maybe uncomfortable about performing CPR,” said Kanakis.
In addition to doubting abilities, the American public has also voiced concerns about sanitation and personal health risks when it comes to mouth-to-mouth contact with a stranger. Also, some cited the fear of causing more harm to the individual requiring medical attention.
Kanakis said students in her class sometimes worry about causing more harm to the victim.
“Most of the time it’s not a matter of someone pushing too hard but not hard enough,” she said. “You’re in essence beating for that heart. If they’re experiencing breathing problems or lack of blood getting to their heart, the last thing they are going to do is yell ‘Ow!’ from you pushing on their chest.”
No matter the reasons, Kanakis said responding in a quick and concise manner could mean the difference between life and death.
“If a person has been trained to use the traditional CPR method and is comfortable administering it, there’s no reason to forgo that,” she said. “But if an individual is an eyewitness to a cardiac arrest, using the hands-only method delivering fast, hard chest compression until medical help arrives can be lifesaving.”

Valerie Melton writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.

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