Bob Elling says everyone should know CPR.

“It’s a life skill everyone should know, said Elling, a national faculty member of the American Heart Association and a professor in Hudson Valley Community College’s paramedic program.

Now, the American Heart Association has made learning CPR much easier for the general population with its Hands-Only CPR — rapid deep presses on the victim’s chest until help arrives.

The Heart Association recently said that Hands-Only CPR works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.

Experts hope bystanders will now be more willing to jump in and help if they see someone suddenly collapse. Hands-Only CPR is simpler and easier to remember and removes a big barrier for people skittish about mouth-to-mouth breathing.

“We’ve known for years that there is a very low percentage of bystanders who will step up and render aid when someone collapses from cardiac arrest,” said Elling. “When you interview people, you find out that some people are uncomfortable because they haven’t really utilized the skill. Some are afraid of being sued. And some are just afraid they are going to get some sort of infectious disease from doing the ventilation component.”

In fact, studies show the limited number of times someone does step up and provide assistance, the majority of those people are health-care workers. So the number of citizens who are providing some assistance is really small.

Chest presses only

Hands-Only CPR calls for uninterrupted chest presses — 100 a minute — until paramedics take over or an automated external defibrillator is available to restore a normal heart rhythm.

“You could have the best EMS system with the most qualified personnel, but if somebody doesn’t know what to do in the first few minutes — if they don’t quickly call 911, if they don’t use CPR until paramedics take over, there could be tragic delays and consequences,” said Elling.

An estimated 310,000 Americans die each year of cardiac arrest outside hospitals or in emergency rooms. Only about 6 percent of those who are stricken outside a hospital survive, although rates vary by location. People who quickly get CPR while awaiting medical treatment have double or triple the chance of surviving. But less than a third of victims get this essential help.

The proper thing to do is rapidly assess the patient, send someone to call for help right away by accessing the 911 system, and then begin chest compressions by pressing about an inch-and-a-half to 2 inches deep as fast as you can go, about 100 times a minute in the center of the chest or breast bone.

“Most of the time within a minute or two you will hear the sirens, and a trained professional rescuer will be coming through the door to work with you and help,” said Elling.

Improving the odds

A paramedic for 30 years, Elling worked a few years in New York City before moving to Albany in 1980. He said he has been in a number of situations where he and his fellow health professionals were able to save the patient with no brain damage. However, he has also seen a number of cardiac arrests where it was the beginning of the end for someone because the person did not receive CPR.

“What we know is that somewhere between 75 [percent] and 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests occur in the home,” said Elling. “So I think the problem is a large percentage of people suddenly collapse in their homes often witnessed by family members who don’t have a clue what to do.”

Elling said he thinks Hands-Only CPR is the answer because it is so easy for anybody to learn .

“People can learn the Hands-Only CPR in a short period of time,” he said. “They don’t have to put their mouth on someone, and it, at least, will give the EMS community a chance to revive more patients.”

Studies show if someone starts CPR right away, they can double if not triple the chance of survival.

“That’s pretty dramatic,” said Elling. “If people don’t know what to do the first couple of minutes after someone collapses, we have nothing to work with when we get there.”

Not useful in all cases

Hands-Only CPR is specifically targeted toward adults who have a sudden cardiac arrest.

“It is not designed for children or infants or adults who have been down awhile,” said Elling.

Adults who have been passed out for a while still need the ventilation component, while most infants or children are more likely to have breathing problems, and in that case, mouth-to-mouth breathing should be used, said Elling.

“In other words, you’ll have conventional CPR, as well as hands-only CPR,” said Elling.

Elling said everyone should learn hands-only CPR.

“We’ve removed the obstacle,” said Elling. “ There’s no reason in the world why everyone should not know how to do CPR. Most of what people need to use is their brain and their hands.”

For further information, go to www.americanheart.org/handsonlycpr.