Mouth-to-Mouth Barriers

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is a technique which laymen and medical professionals alike can use to assist an individual who has suffered an injury or medical condition which has stopped his breathing, heartbeat or both. By mimicking these two essential respiratory functions, a bystander can help an individual survive until medical help arrives. One device that helps in this technique is a mouth-to-mouth barrier.

CPR

• Human beings rely on their lungs to take in air, and their heartbeat to distribute the oxygen to every cell in the body. If cells, such as those in the brain, are deprived of oxygen, they will begin to die. If enough cells die off from oxygen deprivation while waiting for medical assistance, an individual may already be too far gone by the time it arrives. However, by using CPR techniques to manually blow air into an individual's lungs and compress his chest to force blood to circulate, a bystander can help preserve an individual so medical personnel can actually assist them.

Spread of Germs

• A bystander performing CPR can use a mouth-to-mouth barrier for the part of the technique that involves manually blowing air into the striken individual's lungs. By physically creating a barrier between the mouth of the individual who is performing CPR and the individual who is receiving assistance, the process becomes more sanitary for both individuals. These mouth-to-mouth barriers can prevent the spread of germs between the two individuals that could cause either to become ill, as well as the spread of conditions such as herpes simplex virus.

Fear of Lawsuit

• Being able to use a mouth-to-mouth barrier can also increase the confidence of an individual in actually rendering aid to an individual who needs it. While a bystander knowledgeable in CPR may want to help someone who needs it, they might fear being sued by the individual whose life they would be helping to save. Because the act of physically blowing air into someone's lungs mimics the romantic act of kissing, the bystander may fear sexual assault charges in return for his good deed. Because mouth-to-mouth barriers prevent lip-to-lip contact, they give Good Samaritans the grounds to later defend their actions if need be.

Newer Techniques

• While mouth-to-mouth barriers are very useful in CPR techniques that call for both chest compressions and blowing air into the lungs, some newer techniques make them unnecessary by eliminating the need for mouth-to-mouth contact at all. Organizations such as the American Heart Association have said that CPR techniques which use only chest compressions, or "hands only CPR," are just as effective in saving lives as techniques which combine both chest compressions and blowing into the lungs.