Canadians are encouraged to get Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training to enable them to help revive someone who has had a heart attack. Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Canada. The problem is the method for CPR changed in 2010 and a new study indicates the change may not have been a good one.
Chest compressions followed by mouth-to-mouth “rescue breathing” were the norm prior to 2010. Afterward, the “rescue breathing” was dropped because studies indicated it did not change outcomes.
The change “may be misguided” says an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It argues that the act of tilting the head and lifting the chin keeps the airway open and unblocked, and allows air in.
It’s likely there will be much debate and further study before any official change is made by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, an international body created to devise protocols for cardiopulmonary and cerebral resuscitation.
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