Would you?

chances are yes, unless looked an obvious health risk, and then i think i'd try to find some kind of barrier..........
 
I would do the kiss to anyone, any day.
Been a qualified first aider for years, but luckily never had to do it.
I have had a person die on me, but by the time we got to him the ambulance crew were on site..........

But anyway, personally, I couldn't stand by and watch someone have an arrest, so I'd have to do it.

Good question though, would compressions be enough :shrug:
 
been a 1st aider all my life so yes

they have worked out that there is usually enough O2 in the blood so if you keep the heart pumping it's enough - and it's the advice given if you are not a trained 1st aider, ie better than nothing. trained 1st aiders will still do mouth to mouth too

I always wondered about mouth to mouth though, because surely we breathe out co2 ??? my trainer says it still contains traces of o2 tho
 
sturisoma said:
been a 1st aider all my life so yes

they have worked out that there is usually enough O2 in the blood so if you keep the heart pumping it's enough - and it's the advice given if you are not a trained 1st aider, ie better than nothing. trained 1st aiders will still do mouth to mouth too

I always wondered about mouth to mouth though, because surely we breathe out co2 ??? my trainer says it still contains traces of o2 tho
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You breath out more o2 than your body retains
 
In a swimming class years ago,before I had any training (haven't had training for a long time now) A guy was having trouble and then collapsed in the water.
We got Him out but He had stopped breathing,the pool bloke came running up with a oxygen mask and because no-one took it of Him I did and put it on His face and did some pumping of the bulb.
Another guy there turned out to be a Doctor and told me to stop now and then while He checked Him,but after 5 mins and the Guys lips going from pink to deep purple the Doctor just shook His head so I stopped.

Nobody did any compression I suppose we had not been trained and did not know about it.
Even the Doctor didn't attempt any :shrug:

I would do anything in my power now to save a life,because it was so sad to loose one that day.
The class all broke up ,it knocked the #hit out of us.
 
I've done it three times in the course of my work and all were unsuccessful.:shake:

I carry a face shield everywhere I go so wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Current first aid training teaches no rescue breaths and straight to compressions.
 
Exhaled air contains more than a trace of oxygen. About 15% of exhaled air is oxygen which is plenty to survive on.

The CO2 breathed out is also useful in mouth to mouth resuss. Too much CO2 could result in death but if there is a slightly higher than normal level of CO2 in the blood the body assumes the oxygen levels are low and blood vessels in the brain dilate to ensure there is sufficient blood flow and supply of oxygen.

Dave
 
Wookee said:
I've done it three times in the course of my work and all were unsuccessful.:shake:

I carry a face shield everywhere I go so wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Current first aid training teaches no rescue breaths and straight to compressions.
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Indeed.

When you say unsuccessful, do you mean you were unable to revive the patient?
You know the percentage rate of all revival attempts with CPR is something like -1%
There's a one in a million chance basically of reviving somebody suffering cardiac arrest with CPR. It just isn't going to happen sadly.
The idea of CPR is to keep blood pumping around the body, and keeping the brain alive. They need to be shocked to restart the heart.
 
neil_g said:
Is anyone really worried about getting an infection from mouth to mouth when it could potentially save a life?
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Yes quite honestly, if I came across some junkie.....who had been shooting up etc.....

Sorry but as mentioned, don't become a casualty yourself. I would do all I could to help but not risk blood contact or mouth to mouth....

I don't fancy a case of Hep...

Whilst I agree anyone could be a carrier the chances are heavily stacked to some elements of society.......
 
Yeah okay blood contact is a little different but I think it's probably easier to contract something from spit on an average night out in Bournemouth.. Unless of course we've all done a full medical and background check before playing tonsil hockey ;)

I'd wager those surveyed were thinking of more trivial infections though.
 
I've done it three times in the course of my work and all were unsuccessful.
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Sorry to hear it, well done for doing everything you could. :(

TV and films do make it out that CPR is ridiculously effective. It's not.

But it is better than doing nothing, and the mass press coverage that this video has had has the very real potential to save lives.

What a lot of people don't realise is that proper CPR often breaks ribs. That's how hard compressions are. It's been headed the way of less and less rescue breaths for ages now, over the last 15 years or so at various first aid training sessions I've had, the number decreased and decreased, and now it's none/a couple (I'd have to read up on the current advice). DO however, check the airway for blockages.


While we're on it.... BLOKES, here's an awareness video for testicular cancer... think you might like it ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-k8ov18fQ4
 
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cdiver2 said:
Give the kiss of life?. Me yes
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Depends what she looked like? :shrug: although vigorous chest massage does seem the nicer option :D
 
God no. Hepatitis is well nasty. I pretty much pass out at the sign of blood or anything icky so I'd be zero use.

Chest compressions would be ok but Staying Alive is actually too slow. You supposedly need something a bit faster. Dr Phil Hammond was on about it a few weeks ago.
 
When I was a nurse I had to do it many many times.

1st, CPR success is actually something like 5 -9%, not 1 like someone stated earlier.

2nd, this is aimed at the untrained public, trained 1st aiders and medical workers will be trained a slightly more advanced technique.

3rd If someones already laying on the floor dead you are already at the worst case scenario so you have nothing to lose by doing compressions (check airway first though)

4th the purpose of this cpr is to just maintain the circulation (you're doing the hearts job) until Advanced life support, eg de-fibrillation and intubation if necessary can be performed.

5th even now I wouldn't do mouth to mouth without a barrier, not pleasant if someone vomits in your mouth! Trust me!!
 
I did a first aid course around 4 years ago and whilst I'm no longer certified, I certainly wouldn't let that stop me trying to help someone that needed assistance.

IMO basic first aid should be taught to everyone (OK, it's a bit ambitious), I'm not just talking CPR, general life saving skills/techniques etc.

Having said that after I completed my course my words were "Well I passed but I hope I never have to use what I learnt in anger!"

As for unprotective mouth-to-mouth........ I think I'd make a judgement call on the situation in hand ;)
 
I work for the ambulance service and have done CPR 24 times in the past year...

1 got a return of a heart rythm having been down for 19 minutes but unfortunately died later in hospital.

1 survived but most likely because he literally arrested in front of us so zero downtime.

The odd's are not good...
 
Chest compressions are much more important than mouth to mouth. I'm a resus council instructor and I would never give mouth to mouth to a random adult on the street. The truth is you don't know what you will catch and it's not just infections, toxic substances can pass from one to another. That is supported by medical evidence otherwise hospitals wouldn't have "no mouth to mouth" policies. The pressure you create from good compressions draws air into the lungs and it does work. It is also really hard to do effective CRP with mouth to mouth alone, it takes 2 people at least. If you want to help and your untrained chest compressions to the centre of the chest to either "nelly the elephant" or "another one bites the dust" will be the best you can do for the person, if there is more than one of you and you have a barrier then mouth to mouth is a bonus.
 
neil_g said:
Yeah okay blood contact is a little different but I think it's probably easier to contract something from spit on an average night out in Bournemouth..
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Im happy kissing people in Bournemouth, unless they're from Eastleigh that is, when I wouldnt risk it.

;)
 
PaulJC said:
Erm... Dead :|
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And just to add thats full ALS, so we breath for them and give drugs to try and restart the heart, defribulating if required, much more than anyone on the street could do...

The thing is though if nobody starts, by the time we get there, it's quite often a pointless exercise, if you've not broken ribs (well technically the cartalidge between them in most cases) then your not trying hard enough ;)
 
There seems to be some confusion over song speeds and rate of compressions - it should be 100-120 bpm so pick whatever song works for you, I'm not a music expert so your on your own there.
 
Toothie said:
There seems to be some confusion over song speeds and rate of compressions - it should be 100-120 bpm so pick whatever song works for you, I'm not a music expert so your on your own there.
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It used to be slower which is where the confusion comes into it...

This years clinical update was to go deeper, harder, faster...
 
I would turn the original question round and say, why wouldn't you?

I can understand peoples reluctance to do "mouth to mouth" but chest compression's don't really see why anybody can't do that.
 
PaulJC said:
It used to be slower which is where the confusion comes into it...

This years clinical update was to go deeper, harder, faster...
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The clinical up date for years has been deep harder faster. Back in 2004, when they last did a major evidence review, they wanted to make the ratio for medical professionals 1 breath to 60 compressions. All the evidence supports that chest compressions are the most important thing to surviving a cardiac arrest. But they didn't want to change too quickly, so since then it has been much ore focus on compressions.

But your right the songs seem to be adding more confusion that helping, staying alive seems really slow to me and not so much of a regular beat but then I am not going to argue with the BHF, 100+ bpm and your doing the best you can. Good chest compressions are harder than they look if you can manage more than a few mins of effective chest compressions your spending too much time in the gym.

I really don't envy those in the ambulance service, especially with hospitals getting further and further away.
 
munch said:
I would turn the original question round and say, why wouldn't you?

I can understand peoples reluctance to do "mouth to mouth" but chest compression's don't really see why anybody can't do that.
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Your right there no excuse for not doing compressions but then some times it seems your lucky if you can get someone to stop long enough to notice your not breathing.

It is a sad state that we wont help others any more.
 
Toothie said:
Good chest compressions are harder than they look if you can manage more than a few mins of effective chest compressions your spending too much time in the gym.

I really don't envy those in the ambulance service, especially with hospitals getting further and further away.
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Your not wrong there!!! The tested time for us is 2 minutes and a lot of the, errr, less athletic are ready to drop dead or suffer their own arrest at that point :lol:

I believe most trusts now are heading towards a 'stay and play' culture, anything jouvanile gets BASICS or Helimed if possible or you would be going to your nearest A&E rapido...
 
PaulJC said:
Your not wrong there!!! The tested time for us is 2 minutes and a lot of the, errr, less athletic are ready to drop dead or suffer their own arrest at that point :lol:

I believe most trusts now are heading towards a 'stay and play' culture, anything jouvanile gets BASICS or Helimed if possible or you would be going to your nearest A&E rapido...
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Your ambulance service are nice, when I used to teach basic life support to parents of children with allergies I made them do 8 mins (those not in the know, 8 mins is the required response time for an emergency ambulance), but it is much easier on the kid size dummies than it is on a grown real life adult.

Which Ambulance service do you work for?
 
Real people are usually hot, sweaty, clammy and wedged behind a door or down the side of a bed, the dead weight is not so easy to move as that of a child either, i'm quite fit and can go on for about 7/8 minutes solo, 8 minutes is the response time, if their is something to send, but thats a whole different conversation...

The one on the other side of the bridge ;)
 
PaulJC said:
And just to add thats full ALS, so we breath for them and give drugs to try and restart the heart, defribulating if required, much more than anyone on the street could do...

The thing is though if nobody starts, by the time we get there, it's quite often a pointless exercise, if you've not broken ribs (well technically the cartalidge between them in most cases) then your not trying hard enough ;)
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Hahaha thats excellent paul :)
 
slimbean007 said:
Hahaha thats excellent paul :)
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It's also very true and very easy to do, a lot of people panic when things start cracking, i tend to reassure them by telling them i've got big hands and will make sure to get any they miss ;) lol, at this stage, any broken bones are of little concequince:eek:
 
In the article I saw about it the medic did tacitly admit that it is better to give the kiss of life as well as chest compressions and suggested that if people have been trained to do it, they should. The gist was that it was a bit harder and no-one does "hard" these days, only easy. :bang:
 
Interesting thread, being a first aider at work and married to a HSE officer with an army of occupational health nurses this has come up before in our house! Funnily enough what we came back to was we had both been trained to "2 rescue breaths, 30 compressions" and unfortunately if we deviate from this our SJA backed insurance wouldn't cover us to give first aid. Most first aid kits now contain faceshields as well, but what would really really help would be more automatic defib units and trained operators. As has been said except for a drowning CPR will not revive life but will sustain short term brain function through bloodflow. My old instructor summed it up lovely with "whatever you don't do they are brown bread without intervention, your role is to preserve a chance of life as best you can until the cavalry arrive"

I do however think that there should be a compulsory first aid element taught at secondary school level and also for a UK driving licence. Having been in a packed restaurant and had someone start choking, and nobody else knowing what to do really highlighted the need.

I'm also surprised nobody has mentioned that generally there is vomit and bodily fluids everywhere during a resuss attempt.
 
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