Rearranging the ABC's of CPR

[k_emt13]

Here is the link

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/730866

I was just wondering what your views on this were. In my thinking I thought that ABC's made sense. But now starting compressions first, wouldn't that lodge something father in the trachea, or am I wrong. I am new to this so all opinions are welcome.

[Big Country]

I’m new as well, so anyone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

I would think their logic would be that circulating blood to the brain and other vital organs would be a higher priority than giving breathes. Since the care for an unconscious choking patient includes giving chest compressions, that would expel any embedded airway obstructions.

However, for a foreign object just sitting in the back of the pharynx, the movement might actually cause it to slide further in. But I would think if they were unconscious from lack of air, the most likely scenario would be the object was stuck.

I also teach CPR for the Red Cross, and they explained that this change could also possibly help lay responders perform better. Many lay responders are afraid to do mouth-to-mouth on a stranger, so starting with chest compressions would give them a little more confidence and the mindset that “I’m already in this, might as well see it through.” (Just a side note on that—the Red Cross is so concerned with lay responder fears that they teach a “compression only” class, but that’s another story.)

Hope I helped!

--Big Country

[Happiness]

Just recerted in my CPR and this is how it was explained

Think of the chest compressions as an old fashioned hand water pump. It takes so many pushes on the handle to get the water to run easily. When you stop pumping the pressure that is keeping the water flowing nicely is gone. So in order to get that water pressure up to the easily flowing pressure you have to start from the beginning. Now with that being said think of the heart as the pump, you want to keep the pressure up so that everything flows nicely. That is why they are teaching to only stop compressions to move the pt or to apply the AED pads if neccessary. As for the Breaths when you are doing chest compressions on the chest you are also pushing air in and out of the lungs, there is enough o2 going through to sustain life until you can get what you need done,done.

As for choking your not doing chest compressions until that person has gone unconsious which is going to indicate a full obstruction.

Hope this clears up some stuff. I had a hard time getting the heal of my hands to come off the chest. My first course taught us if your hands leave the chest at all you will fail.

When we did the recert we did it to 2 tunes, Staying alive and another one bites the dust. I would suggest if your going to hum a tune while doing compressions in the field pick Staying alive lol.