2015 New CPR Guidelines
The American Heart Association announced its newest CPR recommendations on October 16th, 2015. The new CPR guidelines are based on the latest scientific data from the previous 5 years. The new update has placed limits on how fast and deep chest compressions should be performed.
The guidelines are updated every five years. The 2010 recommendations led to a major shift in how CPR is taught, by focusing more on chest compressions to keep blood moving to prevent brain damage, rather than delivering rescue breaths.
The new guidelines do not have any major changes, but here are some of the basics:
- No more than 120 compressions per minute with a minimum of 100.
- Chest compressions for adults should be no more than 2.4 inches and at least 2 inches.
- 911 Operators should be trained to help bystanders check for breathing & recognize cardiac arrest.
If you are currently certified in CPR, you do not need to retake your training course. However, when your CPR card expires, you will be trained with the new guidelines. The American Heart Association is currently working on developing new instructor materials, new books, and new DVDs and they will be released when finished (early 2016).
Read more about the new CPR guidelines here.
Register for a CPR Class in the SF Bay Area.