Group Formalizes CPR Changes

The American Heart Association has issued updated guidelines on by-stander CPR, emphasizing the need to provide chest compressions over rescue breathing. The guidelines expand upon 2005 research that found rescue breathing was generally not effective, and in most cases by-stander reluctance reduced the instances where it was used. In the latest issue of Circulation, the AHA said untrained persons should perform “hands-only” CPR, while trained and confident person should use both techniques at a 30:2 ratio. Download (pdf) the write-up here.