Quote:
Originally Posted by Superfraggle
As far as effectiveness goes, it depends what the cause of the problem is. In a few cases such as drowning and lightning strikes it has a far higher success rate because the hardware is still in relatively good shape. If, say, there is something physically wrong with the heart, CPR isn't going to cure it. What you are trying to do most of the time is circulate oxygen to keep them alive long enough for more effective aid to arrive.
As a side note, I don't have any proof of this, but I was told once that they have been working on making CPR as simple as possible, as they were finding that success rates were actually going down because people were freaking out too much about not remembering the exact ratios and procedures. What they want to impress first and foremost on people now is that doing something is better than doing nothing. Even if you don't remember everything perfectly, jump in and give it your best shot.
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They're also testing the effectiveness of removing rescue breathing completely from basic CPR. They'll still be used by EMS and hospitals, as they have equipment for it, but this should simplify it enough to be easily remembered in a stressful situation.