Pushing ‘Hands-Only’ CPR Increases Use
With a big ad campaign about “hands-only” CPR, Arizona greatly increased the number of bystanders who tried it, a new study found. And people were more likely to live than when rescuers used traditional CPR. Arizona used public service ads, YouTube videos, free classes and other means to spread the word about hands-only CPR. This form of CPR uses a series of rapid pushes on the chest to circulate blood. There is no pause for “rescue breaths,” as in traditional CPR. In 2005, when the campaign began, about 28% of bystanders tried to use CPR when someone nearby had a cardiac arrest. In 2009, after the campaign, 40% tried CPR. More people used the hands-only method as time went on. People who got hands-only CPR were more likely to survive â 13% compared with 8% for traditional CPR. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.