It just goes to show you - we should question everything.  Especially the somewhat primitive techniques we've been using since the 1960's.

Researchers at Purdue University discovered a new technique to CPR that improves blood flow by an astounding 25% over traditional CPR; thus greatly improving CPR success rates.  

Professor Leslie Geddes developed  the new procedure because of the very low success rates of traditional CPR, which uses chest compressions alternating with induced breathing.

A new technique is desperately needed because conventional CPR has a success rate of 5 percent to 10 percent, depending on how fast rescuers are able to respond and how well the procedure is performed. For every one minute of delay, the resuscitation rate decreases by 10 percent.

The new method, "only rhythmic abdominal compression," or OAC-CPR, is more effective for several reasons.  For one, it is performed by compressing the abdominal region which contains 25% of the total blood of our body,this greatly increases coronary perfusion (blood flow through the heart). 

The Purdue researchers compared coronary artery blood flow during standard chest-compression CPR with the flow resulting from only abdominal compression CPR. Findings showed that using the new method and pushing with the same force recommended for standard CPR provided 25 percent more blood flow through the heart muscle without retrograde flow in the coronary arteries.

Amazingly, it is performed with only one rescuer because the abdominal compressions act to induce breathing.

Instead of two breaths for every 30 chest compressions, the new procedure provides a breath for every abdominal compression because pushing on the abdomen depresses the diaphragm toward the head, expelling air from the lungs. The release of force causes inhalation.

Other benefits of this new method is it that it eliminates the backward flow of blood into the heart, eliminates broken or fractured ribs, and eliminates the risk of infection from mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

I hope to hear more about this in the near future.