The time tested CPR response to an emergency personal injury has been to follow the ABC's — airway, breathing, compressions. Not anymore, the new guidelines announced on Monday by the American Heart Association recommend that rescuers start with chest compressions first before giving breaths. A doctor who co-authored the new guideline says the change puts the simplest step first.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR has been modified over the last few years to reflect a greater importance on chest compressions for sudden cardiac arrest. Two years ago, the American Heart Association advised that untrained bystanders could start with chest compressions until emergency personnel arrived. Now medical professionals and untrained individuals can start with compressions.

The American Heart Association believes the old method of starting with the airway wasted valuable time because keeping the blood circulated with oxygen already in the blood stream was deemed more important than breathing new oxygen into a person's body. The chest compressions act as an artificial heart and pump blood with oxygen to vital organs keeping the organs alive until emergency assistance arrives.

The new change applies to adults and children but does not apply to infants. Rescuers under the revised CPR system should immediately start with chest compressions. The cycle of compressions and breaths should be 30 chest compressions and then two breaths. Sudden cardiac arrest is defined as when the heart suddenly stops beating and can occur immediately after a heart attack, near-drowning or electrocution. Doctors commenting on the new guidelines say they do not want people to think they will hurt someone while they are giving chest compressions. The compressions should be deep and done as hard as possible.

Source: The Associated Press, "CPR Switch: Chest Presses First, Then Give Breaths," 10/18/10