Have you ever felt intimidated by the thought of performing CPR
because it involves all that mouth-to-mouth business? Then this
is for you: Learning the basic steps of hands-only CPR can save
lives, too, and in the early stages of cardiac arrest (before
the paramedics arrive) it may be even more effective, say
experts. A new study from Japanese researchers found that when
people were given hands-only CPR by strangers or family members
prior to emergency hospital intervention, more than 40 percent
were still living a month later. This rate is an impressive one
third higher than those who received traditional mouth-to-mouth
CPR. The researchers speculate that the reason could be that
"rescue breathing is so difficult to perform that it can
interrupt chest compressions." "Across the U.S., too many people
are dying from sudden cardiac arrest because family members and
friends of the victim are unsure how to help. This study
confirms that hands-only CPR is highly effective. Plus it's easy
to do," Michael Sayre, MD