New CPR May Save More Lives

A new study from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona finds that chest compressions may be the most important factor in surviving a heart attack. The study specifically looked at cardiac arrest that happens outside of a hospital — when people must often rely on friends, family, and emergency medical personnel to save them. EMS personnel in the study were tracked both before and after training in a new style of CPR. Study authors have coined a new phrase — and a new style of CPR — that can potentially triple the survival rate of people who have an out-of-hospital … Continue reading

Pet First Aid: CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a combination of rescue breathing with chest compressions to help keep blood moving if the heart has stopped beating. How do you know if your pet’s heart has stopped beating? You can feel for a heartbeat by placing your ear or palm flat against your pet’s lower chest, just behind the left elbow. Another place to find a pulse is on the inside of the thigh at the groin, the site of the femoral artery. Press your fingers firmly against this area and you should feel a pulse. TIP: Try finding your pet’s pulse in both … Continue reading