Britain's first-aiders advised to keep giving kiss of life

Published on Monday 16 November 2009 21:29

HEALTH campaigners yesterday urged first-aiders to ignore advice that they should stop doing the kiss of life on patients whose hearts have stopped.

Researchers in the United States claim that giving cardiac arrest victims breaths between heart compressions is almost a complete waste of time

because it interrupts the process of pressing on a victim's chest.

But the British Heart Foundation urged first-aiders to continue with the life-saving techniques which were widely taught under official guidance.

Current training for CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation – involves giving collapsed victims 30 quick chest compressions then two breaths of air blown into the lungs – the kiss of life.

University of Arizona research found 6 per cent of heart attack victims given current, officially recommended CPR methods by the public, will survive until they get medical help.

But it also found that 5 per cent of such victims will survive anyway without any kind of treatment if they waited for just as long for an ambulance, paramedic or other assistance.

Cardiac Nurse Ellen Mason said: "Cardiac arrest is always fatal unless resuscitation is given. Doing nothing will result in tragic consequences.

"Giving two mouth to mouth breaths for every 30 chest compressions are the current guidelines in the UK for unresponsive adult casualties who are not breathing normally.

"Early CPR increases the chance of survival and increases the chances of early defibrillation working. The guidelines have not changed and we urge people to ignore anything they read that suggests otherwise."

Ms Mason added: "If you are unable or unwilling to do mouth to mouth ventilations, then you can do chest compression only CPR, but please do something to save a life."