Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Healthwatch, we've been talking about research that's improved our understanding of heart disease, which could lead to treatments or ways of preventing heart disease and related problems, like high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. One way of saving lives when heart problems strike is CPR. But some people may be reluctant to do the mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing that's part of CPR, either because they aren't sure how or because they don't want to put their mouth against a stranger's.
Dr. Lynn Roppolo, an emergency medicine specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says chest compressions alone can be effective, and more people may be willing to help if they know that's all they have to do. If help hasn't arrived within several minutes, 911 dispatchers may then suggest a couple of mouth-to-mouth breaths.
If you get CPR training, then you'll be ready to help if you're needed, and you'll know just what to do.
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August 2005
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