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Unfortunately, unless in a hospital, the survival rate for cardiac arrest is a somber 1 to 3 percent; 325,000 Americans die each year from our nation’s second leading cause of death. Could this staggering number be reduced if a simplified form of CPR were to be used?

Currently, adult CPR guidelines consist of alternating 30 chest compressions with two short breaths. However, four years ago, the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center in Tucson began offering public classes promoting continuous chest compression CPR, known as CCC-CPR. The elimination of mouth-to-mouth ventilation emanated from studies indicating that chest compressions alone were more effective than the usual CPR for treating cardiac arrest.

Evidence suggested that brain damage is less likely to occur if people use chest compressions alone. Also, the general public might be more willing to perform CPR if they need not have mouth-to-mouth contact with the victim.

Research supports the possible need for change. A recent Lancet publication highlighted a Japanese study involving bystander resuscitation attempts in 4,068 cardiac arrest cases during 16 months in a densely populated region around Tokyo. Paramedics at the scene noted how lay people performed CPR — if they included mouth-to mouth or not. Patients neurological functions were evaluated a month after each event.

As to be expected, researchers confirmed that any type of resuscitation was better than none for preserving brain function. But compared with standard CPR, chest compressions alone nearly doubled the chance of a positive neurological result in those at greatest risk. The survival rate for patients receiving solely compressions compared to traditional CPR was about the same. Mouth-to-mouth ventilation didn’t seem to make any difference.

Another study reported in the American Journal of Medicine, April 2006, involved subjects in two Wisconsin counties that confirmed a threefold improvement in both survival and neurological outcomes in cardiac arrest when emergency medical staff switched from the usual CPR to only chest compressions.

This data corroborated what Dr. Gordon Ewy, director of the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center, had diligently been working on for many years: eliminating mouth-to-mouth resuscitation can enhance the chance of survival after cardiac arrest. His data was featured at an American Heart Association scientific session (Nov. 2006) attesting that survival rates tripled in the Phoenix area when emergency personnel were trained in a chest compression-only protocol developed by the doctor and his colleagues. He feels strongly that the existing evidence should lead to immediate changes in guidelines for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Aside from the data, the rationale for this measure is that interrupting chest compressions to give rescue breaths makes the compressions less effective, which are crucial to keeping the heart in a “shockable” state — meaning, capable of responding to shocks from an external defibrillator. It’s also felt that rescue breaths are useless in the early stage of cardiac arrest because the arteries and parts of the heart that need instant oxygen, still have enough.

It must be noted that this procedure applies to cardiac arrest not respiratory arrest that can result from trauma, a suspected drowning, blocked airway, or drug overdose. Then mouth-to-mouth ventilation is essential.

For more information about CCC-CPR visit www.heart.arizona.edu or call 520-626-4083.

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Kay Sager is a certified fitness and aquatic specialist living at Port of the Islands. She is a personal trainer using land and water fitness and teaches swimming. She also has written articles for Physician and Sports Medicine among other publications. Kay can be reached by e-mail: kswimfit@aol.com.