I am sure the pocket shields are better than nothing, but how effective are they ?really? at preventing contamination of the CPR responder?
Pocket shield is plastic with a hole where you place your mouth. That barrier is made out of porus paper/fabric like material. It will prevent you from aspiring fluid and matter directly but it will soak up the moisture/fluid therefore you are exposed to the other person vomit anyway.

Are there any brands or models that should be avoided?
Well if you absolutely have to do CPR anything is better than nothing. Chances may be that this particular arrest would be a clean one. That's why the pocket shield is an absolute minimum.

Are there any brands or models that are recommended?
Pocket masks with one way valve and O2 ports are excelent. It is easy to maintain the seal on them but disadvatage are that they are little too big for everyday pocket carry.


Is it also common for CPR patients that have gone ?brain dead? to relieve other bodily functions?
Depending on the reason the person in fornt of you needs cpr than they might have relieved themselves. Example:
traumatic arrest - if the spine has been compromised there may be no muscle tone to hold the bladder and colon together
seizure - urination is frequent and they may go into respiratory arrest. Plus you got foam from the mounth and possibly blood from tongue that was bitten during the seizure.
cardiac arrest - everything goes althou very rearly I've seen urination and defacation. During cardiac arrect it is mostly stomach content that comes up.

Last night at the dinner table I had a discussion with fellow medics about new guidelines for CPR. We all know that brain is the organ that is the most sensitive to lack of Oxygen. Now if you start circulating deoxygenated blood (compressions only) don't you make the brain die faster? I mean it was just a talk and we had no data at hand as far as how big oxygen consumption is in the brain tissue as opposed to other organs but one thing we all knew for sure was that brain necrosis starts much quicker than necrosis of other tissues.

Also don't forget that part of the cpr is also rescue breathing. Now if you are set on doing chest compressions only and as per new standards you throw away the ABCs, by starting the compressions you will put somebody into cardiac arrest.

Jaded Polak <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

ps.
I will just assume as per alternate deffinition that "jaded" means "A woman regarded as disreputable or shrewish. " LOL