Hands-Only CPR does NOT work on Children (Respiratory Arrest)
According to the American Heart Association's current guidelines, 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, Hands-Only CPR on a Child or Infant in asphyxial arrest (choking, drowning, etc) is just as effective as doing NO CPR at all.
"One large pediatric study demonstrated that bystander CPR with chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing is more effective than compressions alone when the arrest was from a noncardiac etiology. In fact, although the numbers are small, outcomes from chest compressions-only CPR were no better than if no bystander resuscitation was provided for asphyxial arrest." -- 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC page S867
According to AHA Hands-Only CPR on a Child or Infant in asphyxial arrest (choking, drowning, etc) is just as effective as NOT performing CPR at all..!!!!
HERE'S WHY......
Cardiac Arrest =
Patient's Heart is NOT pumping the patient's Red (oxygenated) Blood to Brain.
Hands-Only CPR will work on this patient for about 4 minutes.
Respiratory Arrest =
Patient's Heart IS pumping (for now) the patiant's Blue (de-oxygenated) Blood to the Brain.
Hands-Only CPR doesn't work on this patient at all.
Patient will start having Brain Damage in about 2 minutes and go into a de-oxygenated form of Cardiac Arrest that still can't be helped with Hands-Only CPR.
Here's how your body works:
You breath O2 into your lungs where it gets absorbed into your blue blood turning it red. The heart then pumps that red blood to the brain.
A patient having a breathing problem like an allergic reaction, asthma, choking, or drowning goes uncouncious (Respiratory Arrest) because they turn Blue from lack of Oxygen (O2).
Hands-Only CPR
Hands-Only or Compressions-Only doesn't put Oxygen in the blood, it only pumps the blood.
If the patient collapses because they don't have Oxygen in their blood (blue blood) Hands-Only will not help them. It will just pump that blue blood around their system which the patient's heart is still doing anyway.
The patient in Respiratory Arrest has a beating heart. Why pump on a beating heart when the patient really only needs O2?
If you put O2 into a Respiratory Arrest Patient while their heart is still beating (first 2 minutes of arrest) and "red up" their blood, they will probably revive. But you only have 2 minutes to "red up" their blood before their heart muscle starts to die from lack of O2 and they go into Cardiac Arrest with permanent Brain Damage!
What the Professionals do for Respiratory Arrest
Technically Rescue Breathing (breaths without compressions) might be all it takes to revive a child in Respiratory Arrest which is why Health Care Providers (EMTs, Fire Fighters, Nurses, Doctors etc.) are taught to do rescue breaths without compressions on children in respiratory arrest that have a good beating heart. Once their heart stops, full CPR with Breaths begins!