Nation

New CPR guidelines simple

DALLAS - "Push hard, push fast" the next time you give CPR to someone having cardiac arrest, say new, simpler guidelines in a radical departure from past advice. Putting the emphasis on chest compressions instead of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the American Heart Association now urges people to give 30 compressions - instead of 15 - for every two rescue breaths. "Basically, the more times someone pushes on the chest, the better off the patient is," said Dr. Michael Sayre, an Ohio State University emergency-medicine professor who helped develop the guidelines announced Monday. "We have made things simpler," he said. "Push hard on the person's chest and push fast." The streamlined guidelines should make it easier for people to learn CPR. Earlier rules were different for adults and for children, and called on untrained rescuers to stop pushing the chest periodically to check for signs of circulation. Now, the advice is the same for all ages - 30 compressions - and you don't have to stop to check for improvement. What's important is to keep the blood flowing. Studies have shown that blood circulation increases with each chest compression and it must be built back up after an interruption. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack or result from electrocution or near-drowning. It's most often caused by an abnormal heart rhythm. A person collapses, is unresponsive to gentle shaking and stops normal breathing.