2010 Updates Training Video

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Length: 11 min 45 sec
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2010 Updates Training Summary:

The CPR guidelines as recommended by the American Heart Association in conjunction with ECC were changed / updated in October 2010.

Head tilt / chin lift and looking, listening, and feeling for breathing is no longer a recommended action when responding to a medical emergency. To save time, if a person is unresponsive and does not appear to be breathing normally, you should immediately contact emergency medical services and start CPR. This is to simplify the steps and save time to get help more quickly. There is no looking, listening, and feeling for breathing.

The idea of normal breathing has been clarified as well. The agonal respiration or gasping for breath that is common among cardiac arrest patients is not considered normal breathing, which means emergency response must be called. This is the same action as for a patient that is not breathing at all.

There is a greater emphasis placed on the quality of CPR. Compressions should be fast and deep, should allow for full recoil of the chest, and interruptions should be minimized. You should go straight from 30 chest compressions to 2 full breaths, and then return again to more chest compressions. Also, you should be doing AT LEAST 100 chest compressions per minute that are AT LEAST 2 inches deep for an adult. For a child or infant of any size or age, chest compressions should be at least 1/3 the depth of the chest.

There is a reemphasis on decreasing the time lapse between chest compressions and rescue breaths. Decreasing the wasted time between compressions and respirations increases the chances of revival. The faster you can provide chest compressions, the more likely the person is to come out of cardiac arrest. For this reason, chest compressions are now recommended before respirations.

A team approach to CPR has also been emphasized in the newest guidelines. A team of rescuers helps ensure a smooth and effective rescue. Having one person to coordinate the action and suggest maneuvers helps keep all members on task.

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