By Roy Gordon, EMT/ AHA BLS Instructor Updated February 20
Compressions only CPR is a highly effective way to save an adult, or teen from a witnessed SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest). This life threatening emergency occurs when the heart stops pumping, and compressions keep circulation to the brain until a defibrillator can restore a normal rhythm.
As long as the SCA is witnessed, oxygen is already plentiful in the blood stream and giving breaths is not necessary until The EMT’s, or an AED ( Automated External Defibrillator) arrives,
However, in the following situation Hands-only CPR is Not effective and giving oxygen becomes an important consideration.
– Children and Infants
– Drowning victims
– Unresponsive choking victims
– Head injury that stops breathing
– Drug overdoses
– Smoke inhalation
– An Unwitnessed Cardiac arrest
The American Heart Association (AHA) emphasizes that mouth-to-mouth breathing is just for friends and family. The risk is always there to contract Covid, Influenza, Rhino Virus, Hepatitis, herpes, and many more. Some of these disease would only be encounter in hospital settings, but nevertheless, there is always a risk in giving mouth-to-mouth to a stranger. This would be a ‘Really’ Good Samaritan who delivers breaths in the situations above without a barrier device. Everyone has a different comfort level, and should know when to draw the line when there is a greater risk giving mouth-to-mouth, for instance with a drug overdose with somebody on the street.
Providing Hands OnlyTM CPR is the safest and most effective way to help save an Adult, but it is only effective for a Witnessed Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Please see our article on Hands OnlyTM CPR.
For me personally, if I am at the beach, or a pool and a person drown next to me I would give them mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. That could have been me lying there! Yet, everyone has a different level of comfort when it comes to giving life-saving breathing without a barrier device.
I often kid about how Giving mouth-to-mouth breathing would be easier for me in a near drowning situation as a person is all cleaned off with chlorine, or saltwater, although this only helps me to take more initiative.
Important note: after giving mouth-to-mouth breaths to a stranger It is advised to get the medical history of the patient at the hospital, as well as giving your medical history to the EMTs.
As a reward for coming to Revive CPR in San Francisco for your next CPR class, or BLS class we will include a rescue keychain, mouth barrier device when you use the Promo Code Revive25.
Now, you can bring this rescue keychain with you to the beach with your suntan lotion, and you don’t have to worry about whether to breathe, or not to breathe.
Revive CPR 148 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107
All of our BLS classes, and CPR classes at Revive CPR in SF are held live, in person with an AHA instructor. We do not use confusing VAM (Voice Assisted Manikins).
Learn more about our AHA (American Heart Association) CPR classes in San Francisco, and BLS classes at www.revivecpr.com
Hands-OnlyTM CPR is a Trademark of the American heart Association.
