Just like everything in medicine, CPR changes as we learn more about the human body. While most of the changes in medicine and even emergency care the average Joe doesn’t see firsthand like with CPR. Over the last few years the changes in CPR have been significant but these changes have only been incremental steps towards where CPR will be after the next few sets of guidelines. The best advice I can give, take CPR every year and follow the guidelines that you were last taught!

About Rescue Breathing; Rescue Breathing is not going anywhere. Breathing for someone who has a pulse but not adequate respiration is an important skill that has no replacement. It may not be taught in every CPR level, but it is still being taught… if you were taught it, use it! Don’t discount the new CPR courses that are “dumbed down” though. The point of the shorter/simpler Heartsaver course is to provide basic CPR instruction to as many people as possible; it is not possible to include everything that is taught in the “Health Care Provider” level of CPR. The no ventilation CPR was initially introduced nationwide in the AHA Heartsaver CPR program, many billed it (and it was even taught) that it was because people were more likely to do CPR without ventilations. However, prior to these courses, compression only CPR was being used in some EMS communities and hospitals with HUGE increases in survival to discharge (from the hospital). Yup, it looked weird especially through the eyes of experienced providers; doing Compressions on a patient without ventilations (even putting a passive oxygen mask on these patients). It was/is a major paradigm change but it works!

If you want more than a Heartsaver course can offer you, take a more advanced class… the Healthcare Provider initial class is a 16 hour (one weekend)… but at least take the Heartsaver class, basic yes… but it is the simplest things that save lives, always has been, always will be that way.