LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Some medical types released a study on CPR, that found the benefit of chest compressions alone, can be just as beneficial as the current procedure for CPR with mouth-to-mouth ventilation. They also studied the reactions of people when confronted with someone who’s collapsed, and discovered 70% of bystanders do nothing, partly because they’re afraid of touching a stranger’s lips.
But the information shows when someone collapses it’s often due to a heart attack, where the blood is properly oxygenated, and circulation is the real key. The new recommendation is for one hundred chest compressions a minute, which doesn’t leave much time for anything else. Of course, mouth-to-mouth is still vital for drowning victims, and it wouldn't hurt to take a refresher class from the Red Cross.
Photo by stuttermokey via flickr