ProCPR Blog

ProCPR training programs follow scientific treatment recommendations based on the 2005 American Heart Association (AHA) and ILCOR Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. After the publication of the 2005 guidelines, several scientific studies have showed that hands-only CPR can be as effective as conventional CPR in the out-of-hospital setting. The AHA published an advisory statement in the March 31, 2008 edition of the journal Circulation, to clarify and amend the 2005 Guidelines for CPR. The previous recommendation was that laypersons (bystanders) should perform hands-only CPR if they are unable or unwilling to provide rescue breaths.

The most recent AHA advisory states that Hands-Only (compressions only) CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths is recommended for use by all people who see an adult suddenly collapse in the out-of-hospital setting. It consists of two steps; Call 911 and begin chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest. Hands-only CPR and conventional CPR are considered to be equally adequate for treating adults who suddenly collapsed.

The AHA continues to recommend conventional CPR (CPR with rescue breaths and compressions) for all infants and children, for adult victims who are found already unconscious and not breathing normally, and for any victims of drowning or collapse due to breathing problems. For adults who suddenly collapse, the choice is yours. AHA states that if you are confident in your ability to provide CPR including breaths with high-quality chest compressions with minimal interruptions, then provide either the conventional CPR that you learned or begin hands-only CPR.

ProCPR applauds the AHA for simplifying CPR. We have consistently taught that complicating CPR training and adding confusion to the learning process is counterproductive to the goal of simply getting people to do CPR without fear of hurting someone who is dead. According to the American Heart Association, only 15-30% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR before EMS arrives.

ProCPR remains committed to its fundamental principle of providing high quality and easily accessible training that will get more people to perform CPR. We will make necessary enhancements to stay consistent with new AHA guidelines and recommendations. Rest assured, ProCPR will continue to provide the most up-to-date materials and training presentations.

http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.189380

A study has just come out of UT Southwester Medical Center that shows how solid of a program ProCPR is. According to Ivanhoe’s Medical Breakthroughs: You can Learn CPR Quickly:

Their new study reveals 30 minutes in a video-based class is just as effective as taking a three- to four-hour course at teaching basic life-saving techniques. Researchers report six months after training, those who took the shorter course could perform CPR just as well or better than those who took the longer course.

These findings were verified by the chief of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern, Paul Pepe, M.D.

“The results of this formal investigation should not only facilitate more widespread training and frequent re-training in CPR techniques, but it also diminishes some of the inefficiencies and labor-intensity inherent in traditional CPR training.”

Something that we’ve been advocating for years and it is about time that there are studies that have shown just what we’ve been saying for so long. Using ProCPR is much quicker than the old means of recertification, and you can watch and rewatch the videos that we’ve created as many times as you desire. We’ve got more videos in the planning stages and are dedicated to providing you with the best training available, and this study only shows that we’re on the right track, and that you can’t go wrong with learning via video on our website.