Compression Only CPR

by **issarosette** Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:34 pm

In a call to action by the American Heart Association bystanders are now advised to do compression only CPR. Several research studies in recent years have shown that compression only CPR without ventilation is as effective or maybe even more effective in resuscitating patients from cardiac arrest.

These findings are interesting in light of the fact that many nurses put a high value on the importance of ventilation during CPR. The new recommendation for compression only CPR does not apply to cardiac arrest in children, unwitnessed cardiac arrest or a hypoxic cardiac arrest such as from drug overdose or drowning. It is hoped that the changes will simplify the process and might increase bystanders' willingness to start CPR knowing that they don't have to provide ventilation and thereby have a lower risk of acquiring infection from the patient.

The take home points for nurses are that you need to educate patients' families on compression only CPR, but also to take this message to your own care of a patient in cardiac arrest and focus more on compressions rather than ventilations. That's where the real benefits seem to come from.