The American Heart Association (AHA) has laid down new guidelines for performing CPR. This new set of guidelines came into effect on October 18, 2010. Recent survey says that sudden cardiac arrest is claiming hundreds of lives every year in the US. So, in order to save a life during emergencies, the following procedure of CPR should be performed by personnel providing emergency medical services.
The usual A-B-C (Airway- Breathing - Compressions) procedure has been changed to C-A-B (Compressions Airway Breathing). This change is mainly due to the fact that the initial procedure delays chest compressions by 30 critical seconds than the C-A-B procedure. It strongly recommends starting chest compressions on a person who is not responding and breathing normally.
Rescuers should push deep on the chest compressing a minimum of 2 inches in both adults and children and 1.5 inches in infants at the rate of atleast 100 times a minute.
Leaning on the person's chest in between compressions should be avoided so as to allow the heart to restore to the original state after compressions.
Rescuers can call 9-1-1 to get instructions over phone to start chest compressions efficiently.
The AHA also has important guidelines for health care professionals, which are as follows:
Professional rescuers should regularly practice effective teamwork techniques
It emphasizes that professional rescuers should make use of quantitative waveform capnography to monitor CPR quality and intubation.
It also states that therapeutic hypothermia (cooling) is essential for patients after resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
Atropine should be not be used in treating Asystole or Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA).
The Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) has announced a new guideline for resuscitation of infants and children suffering from congenital heart diseases.
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