Wearing PPE During CPR continues to be required

The UI Health Care’s top priority is Safety. Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) released new guidance recommending that chest compressions or defibrillation should not be delayed for retrieval and application of a mask or face covering, for either the patient or provider.

This new guidance stems from recent observations that survival outcomes following cardiac arrest have worsened during the pandemic. This decline in survival has been attributed to multiple factors, including delays in initiating CPR due to donning personal protective equipment (PPE), and rescuer fatigue during CPR from PPE.

UI Health Care employees are required to wear a medical-grade mask at all times while in our facilities, unless they’re alone in a private office or when eating/drinking.

We believe the new guidance from the AHA has the potential to expose health care workers. Therefore, UI Health Care will maintain its current guidance that standard precautions with universal masking be followed during all patient care, with the addition of respiratory protection (N95s) during CPR.

Our decision was made after discussion with many of our experts and serves as the latest example of UI Health Care’s commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all patients, visitors, and staff.

7
Dec, 2021
Food Safety Tips During Holiday Season

Food and Drinks Safety Tips During Holiday Season

Prevent Food Poisoning During the Holidays

Feasting with family is part of many holiday celebrations. Follow these tips to help prevent food poisoning, or foodborne illness, during the holidays.

  • Keep foods separated. Keep meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods at the grocery store and in the refrigerator. Prevent juices from meat, chicken, turkey, and seafood from dripping or leaking onto other foods by keeping them in containers or sealed plastic bags. Store eggs in their original carton in the main compartment of the refrigerator.
  • Cook food thoroughly. Meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs can carry germs that cause food poisoning. Use a food thermometer to ensure these foods have been cooked to a safe internal temperature. Roasts, chops, steaks, and fresh ham should rest for 3 minutes after you remove them from the oven or grill.
  • Keep food out of the “danger zone.” Bacteria can grow rapidly in the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F. After food is prepared, keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Refrigerate or freeze any perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour if food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F, such as in a hot car). The temperature in your refrigerator should be set at or below 40°F and the freezer at or below 0°F.
  • Use pasteurized eggs for dishes containing raw eggs. Salmonella and other harmful germs can live on both the outside and inside of normal-looking eggs. Many holiday favorites contain raw eggs, including eggnog, tiramisu, hollandaise sauce, and Caesar dressing. Always use pasteurized eggs when making these and other foods made with raw eggs.
  • Do not eat raw dough or batter. Dough and batter made with flour or eggs can contain harmful germs, such as E. coli and Salmonella. Do not taste or eat raw dough or batter that is meant to be baked or cooked. This includes dough or batter for cookies, cakes, pies, biscuits, pancakes, tortillas, pizza, or crafts. Do not let children taste raw dough or batter or play with dough at home or in restaurants. Some companies and stores offer edible cookie dough that uses heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs. Read the label carefully to make sure the dough is meant to be eaten without baking or cooking.
  • Thaw your turkey safely. Thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water (change the water every 30 minutes), or in the microwave. Avoid thawing foods on the counter. A turkey must thaw at a safe temperature to prevent harmful germs from growing rapidly.
  • Wash your hands. Wash your hands with soap and water during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:
    • Before, during, and after preparing food
    • Before eating food
    • After handling pet food or pet treats or touching pets
    • After using the toilet
    • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
    • After touching garbage
    • Before and after caring for someone who is sick
    • Before and after treating a cut or wound
    • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

Holiday Food and Beverages for Pregnant

Pregnant women are at increased risk of food poisoning, so take extra care if you’re pregnant or preparing food for someone who is.

  • Do not eat or drink raw or unpasteurized milk and products made with it, such as soft cheeses. They can contain harmful germs, including Listeria. Do not eat soft cheeses such as queso fresco Brie, Camembert, feta, goat cheese, or blue-veined cheese if they are made from raw or unpasteurized milk.
    • Be aware that cheeses made from pasteurized milk, such as queso fresco, also have caused Listeria infections, most likely because they were contaminated during cheese-making.
    • Processed cheeses, cream cheese, mozzarella, and hard cheeses are safer choices.
    • Don’t drink raw or unpasteurized juice and ciderexternal icon.
    • Be careful with seafoodexternal icon. Do not eat smoked seafood that was sold refrigerated unless it is in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Instead, choose shelf-stable smoked seafood in pouches or cans that do not need refrigeration.
    • Avoid certain holiday beverages. Drinking any type of alcohol can affect your baby’s growth and development and cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Don’t drink holiday punches and eggnogs that contain alcohol. Avoid eggnog entirely unless you know it doesn’t contain alcohol and is pasteurized or made with pasteurized eggs and milk.

AHA Updates CPR Guidelines for Patients With COVID-19

An updated American Heart Association (AHA) guidance on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 states that the risk of death to the patient from withholding or delaying treatment for cardiac arrest is extremely high, while the risk of infection and serious disease for the provider is comparably much lower, particularly in providers receiving recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

“The guidelines appropriately evolved as we learned more about COVID-19 and its spread,” commented Lamont Hunter, MPH, PA-C, president of the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants (SEMPA) and director of Emergency Medicine Advanced Practice Providers at Cottage Health, Santa Barbara, CA. “These guidelines are useful for PAs and [nurse practitioners] working in emergency medicine and EMS and should serve as a reminder that high-quality CPR should not be delayed for those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19,” said Mr Hunter, who was not involved in the development of the AHA guidance.

AHA Updates CPR Guidelines

The AHA guidance and collaborating organizations released their first interim guidance for the resuscitation of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in April 2020. This guidance was updated based on updated AHA CPR guidelines released in October 2020, increased understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility, more stable access to PPE, and COVID-19 vaccination.

In the latest guidelines, the AHA introduces updated COVID-19 resuscitation algorithms based on the 2020 AHA Guidelines for CPR and emergency cardiovascular care and includes a COVID-19 maternal cardiac arrest algorithm. There is a new emphasis on providing chest compressions and defibrillation without delay, and added insight about potential aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and when specific PPE should be used (Table).

Highlights of 2021 Interim Guidelines on Cardiac Life Support in Patients with COVID-19

Survival outcomes for cardiac arrests have worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
Quality care for cardiac arrests requires rapid initiation of chest compressions. This likely carries a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the compressor.
For witnessed sudden cardiac arrests, chests compressions should be initiated immediately. Providers should not delay chest compressions to put on PPE or place face covering on patients. For pediatric patients, ventilations should be prioritized.
Providers wearing appropriate PPE should replace providers without sufficient PPE. For aerosol-generating procedures, appropriate PPE includes N95 masks with eye protection or positive-airway pressure respirators, gloves, and gowns.
For agonal breathing, consider passive oxygenation overlaid with a surgical face mask (if available) until a bag-mask device or HEPA-filtered device can be applied
Defibrillation should be performed as soon as indicated, and should not be delayed to put on masks or other PPE
HEPA filters should be securely attached along the exhalation ports of any ventilation devices. Low-dead space viral filters or heat and moisture exchanging filters with >99.99% viral filtration efficiency can be installed between the ventilation device and the airway as an alternative.
Video laryngoscopy and mechanical compression devices may be considered in institutions where they are available and personnel are already trained
Advanced care directives and goals of care should be discussed with all patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 when they arrive at the hospital and following any significant changes in clinical status. Health care providers should commit to ethical and evidence-based organizational policies when making decisions related to initiating and continuing resuscitation.
Newborn babies are unlikely to spread COVID-19, regardless of their mothers’ COVID-19 status; however, maternal respiratory secretions have the potential to transmit SARS-CoV-2

Frequently Asked Questions about Hands Only CPR

CPR Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know if it’s primary cardiac arrest?

  • The person is fine one moment and you suddenly see or hear them collapse.
  • You then check for responsiveness by “shaking and shouting” (are you alright?) and rub the sternum with your knuckles. This helps to determine whether the person had some other reason for the event or if they are indeed in cardiac arrest. If you have no response you should assume that the person has experienced cardiac arrest.
  • Tell someone to call 911 or make the call yourself. You need to get emergency responders on their way as soon as possible.
  • Start chest compressions.

Just do your best. If you do nothing, the person is likely to die. Studies have shown that there is almost no chance that you will hurt the person. While it is rare that a rib will be broken during CPR, doctors are able to repair broken ribs, but they cannot repair death.

Is this the same as a heart attack?

No. In the case of a heart attack, blood flow through one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked. Remember, time is heart muscle. To preserve heart muscle, it’s important to understand early heart attack symptoms:

  • Chest discomfort. The discomfort lasts for more than a few minutes or it may go away and come back. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach.
  • Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.
  • Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, dizziness or light-headedness, “feeling of impending doom,” weakness/fatigue.
  • Women are different than men and not all symptoms of a heart attack are universal. Please check the following for more information:

If this happens to you or you witness someone who exhibits these signs: call 911.

Should I stop compressions if the victim gasps?

No! Gasping is a sign of cardiac arrest and often occurs for a while soon after the arrest and will continue when effective compressions are being delivered. It is NOT an indication of recovery. Continue chest compressions until paramedics arrive; gasping is a sign you are doing a good job.

What if I get tired during chest compressions?

Chest compressions are hard work and after 100 chest compressions or if you become fatigued, it is recommended that you switch chest comrpessions with someone nearby. To transfer chest compressions effectively, there must be less than a 10 second delay when trading off.

Can you damage someone’s heart if you perform CPR while it is beating?

The physicians and scientists at the Sarver Heart Center, have found that the old saying “Never perform CPR on beating heart” is not valid. According to these professionals, the chances that a bystander could harm a person by pressing on their chest are slim to none, even if the heart is working normally. Therefore, they recommend following the “Better safe than sorry” approach and begin chest compressions. It is better to perform a few unnecessary chest compressions for someone with a beating heart, rather than withhold chest compressions and circulation from someone in cardiac arrest.

Why don’t you check for a pulse?

We do NOT recommend that lay public rescuers waste time trying to assess for a palpable pulse. During Dr. Kern’s tenure as AHA National ACLS Chairman, the AHA came to the same conclusion. Public lay rescuers cannot reliably detect the absence of a pulse in a timely fashion, hence in the 2000 and 2005 AHA CPR Guidelines (Circulation 2005; 112(24): IV-3), this requirement was removed.

Studies have also shown that even if a person manages to locate the correct spot for detecting a pulse, there is a high chance that the pulse they may detect is their own, especially considering heightened stress levels in such situations. Rather than wasting time trying to detect a pulse that may or may not be the victim’s own pulse, it is better to get perfusion to the brain by continuous chest compressions.

The correct response to a witnessed cardiac arrest is to:

  • Check for responsiveness (shake and shout).
  • IF NO RESPONSE, call for help (“911”) or ask someone else to call.
  • Begin uninterrupted forceful continuous chest compressions immediately.
  • Call for an AED if one is nearby and available.

Don’t you need to check the airway first?

If you see or hear someone suddenly collapse and they did not show any sign of choking, you don’t have to worry about checking the airway. Assume it’s a sudden cardiac arrest and follow the 3 Cs: Check for responsiveness (shake and shout), Call 911 and Compress at a rate of 100 per minute, about 2 inches deep. If by some chance an object is lodged in the throat, effective compressions likely will dislodge the object, similarly to the way abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich Maneuver) dislodges objects.

Do I have to remove a person’s clothes to do Chest-Compression-Only CPR or only when using an AED?

It is not necessary to remove a patient’s clothing in order to do chest-compression-only CPR. However, if an AED is available, turn on the device and follow the instructions, which state to “remove patient’s clothing.” Defibrillator pads must be placed directly on the patient’s skin in order for the electrical current to be conducted.

How does the victim get oxygen with Chest-Compression-Only CPR?

When someone’s heart has stopped, blood is no longer circulated through the body and therefore hardly any of the oxygen in the blood is used. The person was breathing normally only seconds ago, so their blood contains enough oxygen to tide them over for several minutes. However, it is crucial to deliver blood and oxygen to the brain by performing chest compressions continuously.

Remember: Your hands become their heart and each chest compression becomes their heart beat. Performing adequate chest compressions also increases the likelihood that the patient will gasp or continue to gasp, allowing the lungs to obtain fresh oxygen.

What if the person has an ICD or a pacemaker?

Fortunately, the answer is short and simple: Don’t worry about it. If the person in cardiac arrest has an ICD, the ICD is not functioning properly, since its purpose is to PREVENT cardiac arrest from happening. Pacemakers have a different function, but the answer remains the same, continuous chest compressions should be performed. It is important to recognize that someone in cardiac arrest is either dead or will be dead unless you intervene.

What if the person recently underwent open heart surgery, couldn’t this crack the chest bone?

The key message here is that you cannot do more damage. It is important to recognize that someone in cardiac arrest is dying or will soon be dead unless you intervene. Since this person’s heart is no longer functioning properly on its own, your compressions are doing the heart’s job. Yes, if the person has had recent surgery, you might break the wires in their breast bone. However, the alternative is death.

Can I be held liable for performing Chest-Compression Only CPR?

The Good Samaritan law protects bystanders and their actions when they decide to help someone in an emergency. There is some form of the Good Samaritan Law in all states of the U.S. Chest-Compression-Only CPR and conventional CPR are both covered under the Good Samaritan Law. It does not matter whether you are certified or not but remember to always respect the patient.

Will chest compressions alone bring the person back or restart the heart?

It is highly unlikely that chest compressions alone will result in recovery. However, by maintaining uninterrupted chest compressions, you can dramatically increase the chance of survival by maintaining the patient’s heart in a state that increase the likelihood that shocks from a defibrillator, administered through bystanders using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), or administered by paramedics will result in survival.

Can this method be used in all arrests?

For unresponsiveness in young children (age 8 or under), drowning cases, or drug overdoses, follow conventional CPR guidelines (30 chest compressions followed by two mouth-to-mouth ventilations). This is because in infants or children, respiratory arrest is more common than primary cardiac arrest. However, even in these cases, Chest-Compression-Only CPR is better than doing nothing. To learn conventional CPR, a certification class is recommended.

CPR Classes in San Jose

CPR Classes in San Jose

First Support CPR and First Aid Training offers CPR Classes in San Jose California. We offer BLS Provider, First Aid, First Aid CPR AED, CPR AED and Pediatric First Aid CPR AED. Our classes are every Tuesday and Friday at 7:15 PM or if you wish, we can schedule a special class for you with a minimum of 3 persons. We are American Heart Association Authorized Training Center. After taking the CPR class, students will receive the certification card right away through email. CPR Classes take place at our own facilities rather than in the downtown area where students are required to park in the garage where they would have to pay for parking. Students shouldn’t have to pay for parking for a class that they are already paying for. Therefore parking is free when you take a CPR Class with us.

Learning how to save a life is important and everyone should know how to do it.

If you have any question, you can call us at ‪(408) 475-7724‬ or email us at info@firstsupportcpr.com

7 Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Beware of these 7 Signs Before Heart Attack Strike

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. But most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body if you experience some of these signs. Symptoms may vary between men and women. Here are several symptoms of health problems that people usually missed.

1. ABDOMINAL PAIN

In females, a pain in the abdomen can be easily mistaken for a cramp that usually occurs at the beginning of the period-cycle. While abdominal pain can result from several health problems, there is a specific abdomen pain that you shouldn’t ignore.

If you found yourself grappling with abdomen pain and slight heartburn, it’s time to seek out help. This type of abdomen pain could be an early sign of a heart attack. A heart attack usually occurs when a blood clot forms up in your coronary artery, causing squeezing pain in your chest and upper stomach. It might be time to seek medical help if you experience this symptom frequently.

2. LOSS OF APPETITE

Heart disease has many less common symptoms that people easily brush off, such as losing appetite and nausea. This symptom usually occurs when you feel full even if you have not eaten enough or very little. This symptom makes it harder for people who suffer from heart disease to take enough calories and nutrients.

When experiencing such symptoms, it is necessary to take several small portions of meals that are easy to digest and appealing. It could be a sign that your heart failure worsen if you experience changes in your appetite or digestion system after being diagnosed with heart disease.

3. SWELLING LEGS AND FEET

Swelling on your legs could also be an early symptom of heart disease. It is a common symptom that usually occurs amongst people with heart disease-related problems. These swollen legs and feet are caused by the accumulation of blood not flowing back to the heart. In some people, this swollen also appear on their stomach, which can also cause significant weight gain.

You can detect this symptom by feeling pain in your legs or feet and your legs becoming puffy over time. The pain caused by swollen legs usually feel better in the morning and get worse later in the day

4. RAPID WEIGHT GAIN

As well as swelling legs, heart disease can also lead to fluid build-up in the lungs, stomach, ankle, and other areas of your body. Therefore, it is better for you to keep track of your weight on a daily basis.

Besides maintaining your healthy weight , tracking your weight can help you spot early symptoms of severe health issues like heart disease. If you notice a significant weight gain of more than two or three pounds in 24 hours or gain 5 pounds in a week without a significant diet change, then it’s better to get it checked. The build-up of fluid can trigger numerous health issues, such as breathlessness if it builds up in your lungs.

5. NEEDING MORE PILLOW

People who have heart disease-related problems often found themselves breathless when resting or lying down. It’s all due to fluid that builds up in their lungs moves along with gravity. Heart disease sufferers can experience shortness of breath in several ways, including; feeling tired when you walk, found yourself wake up while sleeping because of breathlessness, and feeling tightness in the chest area.

Symptoms of shortness of breath in heart disease-symptom are often mistaken for flu or common cough. This type of breathlessness usually occurs with coughing and wheezing in the middle of the night after hours of lying down.

6. CONTINUES COUGH

Cough is one of the heart disease symptoms that are not usually discussed or taken seriously. People with persistent cough are typically diagnosed with asthma and bronchitis, but if the symptoms do not improve even after a prescription medication, it could be a symptom of heart failure.

Based on the Heart Failure Matters organization, heart failure-cough is usually thick and has a mucous-like substance that may be tinged with blood. A persistent cough caused by a weak heart causes the fluid to back up to the lungs, thus making it harder to breathe. Congestion of the lungs caused by heart failure may also cause dry, hacking cough, or wheezing.

7. DIZZINESS AND HEADACHE

Dizziness can be associated with many health problems, including heart disease. Dizziness that related to heart disease is often accompanied by a feeling of faintness and lightheadedness. It’s all due to the reduction of blood flow to the brain.

You must not ignore this symptom if you are above 40+ and it occurs frequently. This symptom also could be a sign of a heart valve condition that happens when your valve becomes narrow. Sometimes this dizziness can result in fainting and loss of consciousness, which is dangerous since it can result in injuries and bone fractures

Minutes matter. Quick action can save lives – Learn CPR.

If you know someone who experience heart attack. You should perform CPR immediately while waiting for the Medical team to arrived. If you don’t know how to perform CPR, you can contact us to schedule a CPR Training with us. Being a CPR Certified is a great plus on your skills

Benefits of being CPR Certified

Benefits of being CPR Certified

First Support CPR and First Aid Training offers Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) a lifesaving technique for emergencies like cessation of breathing or heartbeat. CPR helps blood continue flowing to the brain and other vital organs until emergency medical services arrive to provide medical care.

Approximately 350,000 cardiac arrests happens outside of hospital settings each year in the United States. Unfortunately, half of the people who experience cardiac arrests do not get CPR before an ambulance arrives. When CPR gets performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, this can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival.

Getting your CPR certification may help you save a life someday. We offer a blended learning CPR classes. You can take online part of the CPR class on your computer or mobile phone at your convenience before coming to our office for the Skill check class. After the class, we will send your CPR certificates directly to your email inbox. The CPR certificates is valid for 2 years and you can use it for your Job application requirements (OSHA).

We offer BLS Provider 2020, First Aid, CPR AED, First Aid CPR AED and Pediatric First Aid CPR AED.

Choosing CPR Courses Guide

Choosing CPR Courses Guide for first timer or renewal of your CPR courses. Sometimes we forget or don’t know what specific CPR course that fit’s with our daily job. Some person’s make a mistake during the booking process. They book for a wrong CPR courses and purchase a wrong online course and ended up in rescheduling because they need to get the correct online course that fits with their needs. It’s a waste of time and money for the students.

Choosing CPR Courses Guide

Here’s a list of courses that First Support CPR and First Aid Training offers and who should take the course.

BLS (Basic Life Support) Provider – nurses, nursing students, doctors, physical therapists, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, dentists (receive CE credits) or anyone in the medical or healthcare field.

First Aid, CPR AED and First Aid CPR AED – courses are for parents, nannies, babysitters (over 10 yrs old), coaches, personal trainers (ACE, ACSM), maritime personnel, foster care, social workers, camp counselors, construction workers, & office workers.

Pediatric First Aid CPR AED – course are for child care providers who need EMSA certification as part of Title 22/AB243. State law requires child care providers to take this course once every two years. EMSA license 0204-DC.

First Support CPR and First Aid Training is an official American Heart Association training center. Classes can also be provided on site for businesses and schools. For inquiries you can call us at ‪(408) 475-7724‬ or email info@firstsupportcpr.com 

Knowing CPR are Important at the beach

Knowing CPR are Important

This week’s “Keeping You Safe” goes to the beach, where safety officials discussed flotation devices and why it’s important to know CPR.

Grand Strand Medical Center shared an eye-opening statistic released in 2019 that showed where South Carolina stands when it comes to unintentional drownings,

“We were the state with the ninth highest rate for fatal unintentional drownings,” Chrissie Catlla, injury prevention and community outreach coordinator, said. “Anyone who is not very comfortable should be in a life jacket.”

Catlla said the safest flotation device is a U.S. approved Coast Guard life jacket.

“You’ll want to make sure that all of the buckles, the snaps, the zippers are appropriately on. Then you want to test it. You’ll want to pull up on the life jacket. If it doesn’t hit the chin or the ears, then it’s an appropriate fit,” she said.

Catlla said factors that influence drowning include:

  • Lack of swimming ability
  • Failure to wear life jacket/flotation device
  • Alcohol use
  • People not watching swimmers

Catlla, a registered nurse, also showed demonstrated how to administer CPR.

 

“If someone has drowned, the first thing you want to do is that you’re going to pull them to safety,” she said. “Once you get them out, you put them on their back, open their airway by lifting their chin.”

She said the lifesaver should then check the person’s pulse. If they’re not breathing, chest compressions should begin.

“You use two hands in the center of their chest and you pump their chest,” Catlla said.

It’s 100 compressions per minute, 30 times. Then, tilt the person’s chin backwards and give two breaths. CPR should continue until EMS arrives.

“If you’re going to be around open bodies of water, knowing CPR is one of the best ways we can help save lives,” Catlla said.

First Support CPR and First Aid Training offer CPR classes every Tuesday and Friday at 7:15 PM. You can also schedule a special class during weekdays with a minimum of 3 person’s and a maximum of 6 person’s per class. For more information, you can call us at ‪(408) 475-7724‬ or email us at info@firstsupportcpr.com

Modified Two-Rescuer CPR With a Two-Handed Mask-Face Seal Technique is Better than the Conventional Two-Rescuer CPR With a One-Handed Mask-Face Seal Technique

Bag-valve-mask (BVM)

Background

A Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation using a two-handed mask–face seal has been shown to be better than the one-handed mask–face seal during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Objective

To compare CPR quality metrics during simulation-based two-rescuer CPR with a modified two-handed mask–face seal technique and two-rescuer CPR with the conventional one-handed mask–face seal technique.

Methods

Participants performed two-rescuer CPR on a simulation manikin and alternated between the modified and conventional CPR methods. For the modified method, the first rescuer performed chest compressions and thereafter squeezed the BVM resuscitator bag during the ventilatory pause, while the second rescuer created a two-handed mask–face seal. For the conventional method, the first rescuer performed chest compressions and the second rescuer thereafter delivered rescue breaths by creating a mask–face seal with one hand and squeezing the BVM resuscitator bag with the other hand.

Results

Among the 40 participants that were enrolled, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) delivered respiratory volume was significantly higher for the modified two-rescuer method (319.4 ± 71.4 mL vs. 190.2 ± 50.5 mL; p < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences between the two methods with regard to mean ± SD compression rate (117.05 ± 9.67 compressions/min vs. 118.08 ± 10.99 compressions/min; p = 0.477), compression depth (52.80 ± 5.57 mm vs. 52.77 ± 6.77 mm; p = 0.980), chest compression fraction (75.92% ± 2.14% vs. 76.57% ± 2.57%; p = 0.186), and ventilatory pause time (4.62 ± 0.64 s vs. 4.56 ± 0.43 s; p = 0.288).

Conclusions

With minor modifications to the conventional method of simulated two-rescuer CPR, rescuers can deliver significantly higher volumes of rescue breaths without compromising the quality of chest compressions.