Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
10016504 The American Journal of Emergency Medicine 2005 4 Pages PDF
Abstract
Bystanders are reluctant to perform basic life support (BLS) because of fear of failure and of infection, especially with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (MTM). A possibility to enhance willingness could be the giving of MTM or BLS instructions at a very early age to the potential rescuers. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of MTM with respect to ventilation and the time needed for performing 5 ventilations. In this study, MTM was performed on a mannequin by 57 children and adolescents aged 10 and 14 years. This study showed that 14-year-olds effectively perform MTM, reaching the recommended tidal volumes. Ten-year-old children have already developed sufficient motor skills for MTM with no significant time differences compared with the 14-year-olds. However, physical demands may be rather high at this age. Further long-term studies are needed to investigate clinical benefits of early teaching of MTM or BLS that may lead to international guidelines with low age limits.
Related Topics
Health Sciences Medicine and Dentistry Emergency Medicine
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