Hands On CPR Works Better To Save Lives

A pair of new studies suggest that hands only CPR maybe the way to go when it comes to saving the life of somebody in severe distress.

The studies found that not only are people more likely to help somebody they come across who is unresponsive if they can avoid the mouth to mouth component of CPR, but they are also more likely to actually help the person.

The traditional CPR involves continuous cycles of 15 chest compressions followed by two long breaths but the new research suggests that the breaths may not be beneficial when it comes to increasing the likelyhood of restarting the heart.

The American Heart Association have been backing the hands on approach to CPR for a few years now, but it is unclear as to the popularity of the actual method opposed to the older technique.

The new studies prove that the hands on approach offers the best chance of restarting the heart, and urge for 911 operators to be clear when advising by-standers to use the hands on technique.

“That could translate into hundreds if not thousands of additional lives saved each year. What are we waiting for?” said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, a RAND Corporation expert on emergency medicine.

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