More on CPR

Lance Soares in MA is one of my black belts who is a Paramedic and former miltary medic. He sent this comment in.
The American Heart Association has been toying with this concept for awhile now. Many of us believe this is the future of CPR for all levels of provider. The Good Samaritan Law however are different from state to state and should be researched by those who learn CPR for their own sake (Here's some info to get started.)

http://firstaid.about.com/od/medicallegal/f/07_good_sam_law.htm

Below are comments from Dr. Rowe, who is also a certified CPR instructor. He's been urging me to get mine but I'm lagging a bit. Several good points here.
 
Several mechanisms can result in cardiac arrest. If the patient is walking along and suddenly drops (dead)-SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST, the cause is almost always the heart-. The heart has either stopped or is quivering, fibrillating. The red cells are charged up with oxygen because the victim had been breathing right up to the arrest, but the heart is not pumping so the oxygenated blood cannot be delivered, cannot get to the cells. Chest compression squeezes the heart and pumps the already oxygenated blood around so the oxygen can be dumped off to the cells of the brain and heart. Compression works in very effectively when the cause is the heart and the arrest is sudden.

However a second major cause of cardiac arrest is lack of oxygen-hypoxic arrest due to problems with respirations and breathing. Oxygen does not get into the blood and the cells therefore are starved of oxygen. The heart and brain cells are injured and die and the cardiac center in the brain and the heart muscles shut down and the heart stops. This usually takes minutes so the patient does not just suddenly drop. The airway may be blocked, the lungs damaged or ventilation interfered with.-drowning, choking and severe asthma attack are examples. Now you have blue blood-no oxygen in the red cells and dissolved in the blood. Now if you just do compressions you are pumping around unoxygenated blood and the patient will not survive. Here you need classic CPR-breaths and compressions , breaths to charge the blood with oxygen and compression to pump it around.

Since children usually arrest from breathing problems rather than heart problems classic CPR is indicated. Also if you come upon an arrested victim and there are no witnesses or information about the event, you do not know the cause of arrest and you should probably add breathing to resuscitation. Finally the most important action in resuscitation of a drowning victim is what is done immediately at the scene. Studies have shown immediate resuscitation at the scene rather than paramedic ,ER or ICU treatment determines survival . Immediate breathing for the victim at the scene is the single most important thing to do followed by compressions after the blood is oxygenated. Successful resuscitation is often associated with breathing for the victim when they are still in the water. Drowning is a classic example of hypoxic arrest. Bottom line-compression alone is good but one size does not always fit all.
 
Thanks to both of these professionals for their contributions.