WASHINGTON — For the past聽18 months, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service has adopted 聽a new approach in applying CPR, 聽a method known as “high-performance CPR.鈥�
Pete Piringer, spokesman for MCFRS, said high-performance CPR聽involved 鈥渦ninterrupted chest compressions of between 100 to 120 a minute.”
“That鈥檚 pretty much as fast as you can do chest compressions,” Piringer said.
Since adopting the method, “save rates” of patients have increased from 9 percent to 40 percent. Piringer said聽that dramatic of an improvement in patient outcomes was the result of a number of factors, including a broader willingness of bystanders to offer help.
“Folks are getting involved,” Piringer said. “They鈥檙e recognizing that there are medical emergencies, and they鈥檙e accessing the 911 system, and there鈥檚 a robust response.”
Part of the reason more bystanders are willing to assist, Piringer said, was because the CPR method no longer relied on mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Piringer said the method also emphasized quick action: “The compressions should only be about an inch-and-half to two-inches” deep.
But the real key, according to Piringer, 聽was the rapid response and not interrupting the compressions.
“We just want people to do the best that they can, as long as they can, and as many as they can as long, as (far as) the compressions are concerned,”聽he said.
Piringer described what first responders refer to as the “chain of survival” that鈥檚 part of high-performance CPR. 鈥淭he chain of survival is early access to 911, bystander CPR, (and) introduction to advanced life support: AED鈥檚 and paramedics, and delivery to the hospital.鈥�
AED’s are the automated external defibrillators that have been adopted in more workplaces, schools and other public places.
The high-performance CPR method was adopted early by first responders in Seattle and Washington state, and has been introduced to many departments across the country.
小萝莉影视’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
