There was a discussion on a social media platform about CPR and the current AHA Guidelines. As providers we know the guidelines change at least every 5 years, some programs are now requiring a person/ provider to get recertified every year instead of every 2 or 4 years because of all the changes. You can log into the AHA , ARC, ASHI or NSC websites and see the current updates, do not think because you have received your BLS card less than a year ago you are still current on medical guidelines. Here is a quick clip from the latest Circulation provided by AHA.
Over a half-century after the initial guidelines were published, cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States and other countries worldwide. As reported in the AHA “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2020 Update,” emergency medical services respond to more than 347 000 adults and more than 7000 children (less than 18 years of age) with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) each year in the United States. In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is estimated to occur in 9.7 per 1000 adult cardiac arrests (approximately 292 000 events annually) and 2.7 pediatric events per 1000 hospitalizations. In addition, approximately 1% of newly born infants in the United States need intensive resuscitative measures to restore cardiorespiratory function.
Adult Basic and Advanced Life Support: Significant New, Updated, and Reaffirmed Recommendations
CPR reaffirmed: Provision of CPR has long been the hallmark of cardiac arrest management. Updated evidence from an analysis of over 12 500 patients reaffirms the importance of chest compression quality as well as the following:
– During manual CPR, rescuers should perform chest compressions to a depth of at least 2 inches, or 5 cm, for an average adult while avoiding excessive chest compression depths (greater than 2.4 inches, or 6 cm) (Class 1, LOE B-NR).
– It is reasonable for rescuers to perform chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120/min (Class 2a, LOE B-NR).