American Red Cross Responds to Changes in CPR Guidelines

[RWC130 594]

American Red Cross Responds to Changes in CPR Guidelines

National Headquarters

2025 E Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20006

www.redcross.org

Contact: Public Affairs Desk

FOR MEDIA ONLY

media@usa.redcross.org

Phone: (202) 303-5551

WASHINGTON, Friday, October 15, 2010 — On October 18th, the American Heart Association will release ECCU 2010 revised guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiac Care. We look forward to reviewing the guidelines. We understand that the guidelines focus on the sequence of techniques that occur during CPR and the use of chest compressions. Once our panel of experts fully studies the science behind the guidelines and changes, we will make a determination about what, if any changes, should be made to Red Cross courses.

As the nation's largest provider of CPR training, the American Red Cross does support the use of hands only CPR for cardiac emergencies which occur outside of a health care setting. If more people learned hands only CPR, we could save more lives by putting more victims within a few steps of lifesaving assistance. That's why, in addition to reviewing the changes in CPR guidance, the Red Cross soon will announce the details of an initiative to train 5 million people in hands only CPR by the end of 2011.

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=970eb0544cbab210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD