CPR Revised Procedures

In 2005, the American Heart Association made changes in how Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is delivered in effort to make it easier to learn, remember and administer. Previously, CPR methods were different for adults and children, which could be confusing and difficult to remember. The new standards make it simpler to provide continuous blood and oxygen circulation for a victim.

Changes in Chest Compressions

• Before the 2005 revision, the rate of chest compressions and rescue breaths were based on whether the victim was an adult or child. The revised CPR method allows for the same number of chest compressions to be given to adults and children. Now, you should provide adults, children and infants with a cycle of 30 chest compressions to two rescue breaths (30:2).

  Additionally, how chest compressions are administered has changed to allow the delivery of more blood to the heart. Current methods advise that chest compressions be delivered hard and fast, while allowing the chest to recoil back into a normal position after each compression. This allows for better blood flow than the previous method, which did not allow the chest to recoil in between compressions.

Changes in Rescue Breathing

• Breathe normally before giving the victim mouth-to-mouth instead of taking a deep breath as the old standards recommended. Administer the breath to your victim over one second and watch for a rise in the chest. This indicates whether or not the breath was effective.

  Opening the airway of an unresponsive victim was previously accomplished with a jaw thrust, which pulls the victim's jaw forward and is difficult to master. The use of the head tilt-chin lift is now used to open an unresponsive victim's airway by placing your fingers beneath the victim's jaw and gently lifting up to move the head into alignment. This will help open the airway so rescue breathing can be performed and has been deemed a safe method even if the victim is injured.

  For an unresponsive adult or child, check for breathing by listening and feeling for breath from 5 to 10 seconds but no longer than 10 seconds. If the victim is not breathing, administer one rescue breath, watching for chest rise as the breath is given. If the chest does not rise, use the head tilt-chin lift method to attempt to open the airway. Give another breath and watch for chest rise. This sequence differs from the old method, which did not focus on making sure chest rise was adequate.

  Additionally, once you've provided two rescue breaths, checking for the victim's pulse before beginning chest compressions is no longer needed.

Changes in Response

• If you find an unresponsive infant or child, provide two minutes, or five cycles, of CPR before calling 911. Previously only one minute of CPR was given before calling 911, however to give children a better chance at survival, longer CPR before interruption was deemed appropriate.