(Yes, it looks like a Michael Jackson thread -- but get over it and READ, please.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_michael_jack... Lawyer: "Jackson's doc didn't give excessive drugs"

(Blah, blah, blah -- its not my fault -- snip)



Folks, you DO NOT ADMINISTER CPR to folks with a heartbeat. If someone is not breathing, you give RESCUE BREATHING, but NOT CPR. And doctors are supposed to know this, so either a) the lawyer is lying, ignorant, or stupid, or b) the doctor is a complete screw-up.

Let me walk you through this slowly:

The ABCs of emergency are Airway, Breathing and Circulation (with a quick scan for life threatening levels of bleeding).

A is for Airway: -- If the person isn't breathing, you tilt the head, and give two quick rescue breaths. If the air does not go in (because the chest does not rise/fall), you retilt the head. You don't go any further until the airway is not obstructed.

B is for Breathing: -- If the person isn't breathing on their own, you give the two breaths (referenced above and stop there if you can't get air to go in), and then check for a pulse. If there is a pulse, you continue rescue breathing until help arrives. This allows oxygenated blood to continue flowing through the body -- and you also periodically double check to make sure the pulse hasn't stopped while you are waiting.



C is for Circulation: -- If there is no pulse, you begin performing CPR, which is a combination of Rescue Breathing and Chest Compressions. If you have it available, you may also utilize an AED device (which is an automatic electronic defibrillator). You continue doing this until help arrives.

Let me repeat this:


The purpose of chest compressions is to force oxygenated blood through the body so it doesn't die. The rescuer provides the oxygen via the Rescue Breathing, and then forces the blood to circulate via the chest compressions. It is physically exhausting, and you *always* call for help.

So for a doctor/lawyer/newspaper to say "Jackson still had a faint pulse" and "The doctor immediately began administering CPR" is flat out WRONG. You give RESCUE BREATHING to someone who is not breathing but has a pulse, and you give CPR to someone who doesn't have a pulse.

Are we clear on this? Are there any questions?

Why am I ranting about this? Because casual misinformation like this KILLS PEOPLE; folks who haven't taken the classes but watch television think they are HELPING when they start pounding on someone's chest willy-nilly, and never realize they are causing damage (which is what giving chest compressions to someone with a heartbeat will usually do, which is why we INSIST you take the full 15 seconds to feel for a pulse in an emergency situation). This stuff matters, people. There is a difference between "rescue breathing" and "chest compressions" -- and for the record, I think everyone on the planet should be educated on basic first aid, including how to deal with the ABCs.

End Rant.

Ida Briggs
10 year Instructor for the American Red Cross (Retired Since Katrina)
Standard First Aid, CPR & AED -- Adult, Infant and Child