WIRED Staff

Forget Your CPR Training

Researchers have been questioning the value of CPR for a while, and now there’s a new study that says an alternative approach works better for people undergoing cardiac arrest. A press release says: Survival rates following cardiac arrest went up 300 percent whenemergency responders used Cardiocerebral Resuscitation, a newresuscitation approach for cardiac arrest pioneered at […]

Researchers have been questioning the value of CPR for a while, and now there's a new study that says an alternative approach works better for people undergoing cardiac arrest.

Cpr
A press release says:

Survival rates following cardiac arrest went up 300 percent whenemergency responders used Cardiocerebral Resuscitation, a newresuscitation approach for cardiac arrest pioneered at The Universityof Arizona Sarver Heart Center. Because the new technique does awaywith mouth-to-mouth breathing, it enhances the willingness to performresuscitation in lay individuals.

(It should be noted that the "300 percent" increase in lives saved means that about 9 percent of cardiac arrest pateints survived when the new approach was used vs. 3 percent with CPR.)

I know what you're thinking. "I'm never going to be a lifeguard now because I won't get a chance to give mouth-to-mouth to some hot chick/guy!"

Au contraire, mon frère. CPR with "rescue breaths" is still advised for suspected drowning victims, children and cases of drug overdose.