Aibu to be a bit shocked at St Johns Ambulance teaching of CPR?

[Hairyfairy01]

Dd recently attended at group where St Johns Ambulance very kindly agreed to teach the kids first aid and CPR. However I was a bit shocked that they were still teaching the 2 puffs and 30 pumps on the chest technique.

I thought this method stopped being taught years ago thanks to Vinnie .Jones and his 'staying alive' campaign with the British Heart Foundation? It certainly isn't how you are taught it in the NHS.

AIBU to think that such organisations should be teaching people, especially very young children, the correct, most up to date techniques or am I just being ungrateful?

I thought they'd started teaching 'hands only CPR' to the public now.

Its how im taught it in the nhs.

And I actually teach it. Hands only till help second person arrives though.

That's what we still get taught (police)

I suppose it's better that they learn some CPR than none at all ... but I do share your concern. I thought the rescue breaths had now been dropped, and chest compressions to circulate oxygen was now paramount?

It's changed a lot during the 40 years that I've done first aid training - I started with a single breath to ten compressions, then the two breaths and 20-30 compressions, to no breaths at all. Puff the Magic Dragon is no longer the tune, you go faster to Stayin' Alive. But I think the overall message is still there - do something, do anything, nobody's going to sue you for getting the ratios wrong.

I've been taught the breaths too in the NHS. Isn't the Hands Only approach that if you don't want to give breaths you can still help with compressions?

Resus Council Guidelines

(30:2, if you don't want to click through)

The hands only technique was bought in because lots of people were not attempting CPR as they didnt want to do mouth to mouth wasn't it? As lots of people needing CPR are covered in blood/vomit. Better to do something than nothing

I did a first aid course recently for work and this is what we were taught? With 5 rescue breaths.at the start for kids?

I think the chest compressions is the most important part and we were told that if we really can't do the breaths for whatever reasons then still do the chest compressions. But why do you think the breaths but is out of date?

We are taught to give breaths, we are told the no breath technique was just for non-first aid trained people who might be squeamish about giving breaths.

I can't get my head around hands only. If there's no rescue breaths there's no oxygen to actually circulate? How does it work?

I was present - though not participating - at an accredited first aid course (can't remember who with) in November 2015.

They taught 30 compressions and 2 rescue breaths. The trainer stated firmly that the VJ commercial was targetted at people who might be a bit skittish about giving someone else (potentially a stranger) mouth to mouth and therefore not do anything.

The premise was that chest compressions alone is better than nothing but chest compressions with rescue breaths is optimal.

We (GP surgery) get told no breaths unless we are using the ambubag and mask.
There is more oxygen in the blood going round the body in the initial phase than there is in exhaled air so the important bit is to get it circulating

Police here as well and we do the full thing, rescue breaths included.

I asked our trainer and he said the Vinnie Jones advert was because people were reluctant to do CPR because of the mouth to mouth element, so they put the focus just on the chest compressions.

The rescue breaths as well as compressions are the best way to try and preserve life, but if people don't want to do that chest compressions are better than nothing.

Just done my refresher and that's what we were taught.

Hands only only works for a few minutes-it takes a little while for the oxygen in the blood to fall so if you do compressions you'll get the blood moving to the organs if the heart has stopped. You'll have to move on to doing breaths though.

I never knew that. I've been taught CPR through lifesaving, scuba diving and general first aid and have always been taught breathe and press.

Firefighter here in a brigade additionally providing emergency first responders to CPR type incidents. Immediate emergency care training with a decent first aid kit including bag valve mask - we were taught (in 2016) 30 chest compressions then 2 pumps of the BVM. Repeat.

And for child under 1, precede CPR with 5 rescue breaths (across nose and mouth, very very carefully (don't over-inflate delicate lungs)).

We do get told at re-training that if we are unwilling to do rescue breathes the just to do compressions but if wiling and able, then to do rescue breathes.

I have done my first aid course today ( foster carer) and yes still breaths and compressions with the proviso that if you are not comfortable with breaths just do compressions as better than nothing !

Hands only works as it's doing the job of pumping the heart. I've just done my refresher first aid and it was rescue breaths and chest compressions and the guidance not to stop until you are told to by the arriving professional help.

I did the three-day First Aid at Work course a couple of weeks ago with the British Red Cross. We were taught 30 compressions, 2 breaths, repeat until help arrives.

I have a full Level 3 first aid qualification, done recently. You do 30 compressions and 2 breaths. If you don't want to do the breaths, you carry on with compressions until medics take over, tell you to stop, or exhaustion.

Nurse & 30-2 in my last update.
I always carry a pocket mask just in case, I've had to give CPR twice outside of work & like to be prepared.

It appears to have circled back to giving rescue breaths again, after a period of none required. It makes sense to provide the oxygen if you can, but compressions better than nothing.