New CPR Guidelines issued by Heart Association

The American Heart Association announced it has revised its guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the treatment of cardiovascular emergencies.

Untrained bystanders and CPR-certified lay people will no longer have to check an unconscious person's pulse before administering chest compressions. Instead the person can "check for lifelessness" using breath, movement and response to stimulation as indicators. At least 35 percent of trained and untrained rescuers are wrong about whether or not a victim has a pulse. The United Kingdom and European Resuscitation Councils have already successfully deleted pulse checks by lay people from CPR training. Pulse check is not effective. Even health care workers have difficulties. And when bystanders look for a pulse, it's even less effective. Almost 99 percent of them can't do it in the first 10-15 seconds.