HEALTH REPORT - Heart Attacks: Simpler Rules for CPR Announc

HEALTH REPORT - Heart Attacks: Simpler Rules for CPR Announced
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, December 07, 2005

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation¹, or CPR, can save the life of a heart attack victim. When the heart is in cardiac arrest, it stops pumping blood. Breathing stops. The victim falls and does not react. Without lifesaving measures, the brain starts to die within four to six minutes.

 
New guidelines² call for more chest compressions during CPR
CPR combines rescue breaths and repeated pressure on the chest. It keeps blood and oxygen flowing to the heart and brain.

The American Heart Association³ has new guidelines for the public about how to do CPR. They appeared last month in its journal⁴ Circulation⁵. The heart association says the steps are simpler than before and easy to follow.

The biggest change is in the number of chest compressions. The earlier guidelines called for fifteen chest compressions for every two breaths. The new ones call for thirty compressions for every two breaths -- in adults as well as children. The steps are repeated over and over until medical help arrives.

To do compressions, an individual places one hand on top of the other and presses down into the chest. The idea is to push hard and push fast, at a rate of one hundred compressions per minute. With a newborn baby, two fingers should be used.

Studies found that continuous⁶ compressions increase blood flow through the body. This would give the victim more time until a defibrillator can be found or the heart can begin to pump again on its own.

A defibrillator is a device⁷ that sends electric shocks to the heart in an effort to return normal pumping. Heart experts say CPR is important not only before defibrillation but also immediately after.

The heart association says one shock generally helps to return a normal heartbeat.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States and Canada. The heart association says most cases happen at home or someplace else other than a hospital.

Victims usually die before they can be brought to a hospital, because most members of the public do not know what to do. The American Heart Association says CPR given immediately after cardiac arrest can sharply⁸ increase the chance of survival⁹.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. The new CPR guidelines can be read on the Web at heart dot o-r-g (heart.org).  I'm Steve Ember.

1 resuscitation   

n.复活

参考例句：

• Despite attempts at resuscitation,Mr Lynch died a week later in hospital.虽经全力抢救，但林奇先生一周以后还是在医院去世了。
• We gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage.我们对他进行了口对口复苏救治和心脏按摩。

2 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

3 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

4 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

5 circulation   

n.循环，流通，传播，发行，发行量

参考例句：

• There is a large circulation in the musical public.在音乐界销路很广。
• The ideas have been in circulation for some time.这些想法已经流行了一段时间。

6 continuous   

adj.继续的，连续的，持续的，延伸的

参考例句：

• She finally got in after 10 years'continuous effort.坚持不懈地努力了十年后，她终于当选了。
• We must be continuous to study.我们必须不断学习。

7 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

8 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

9 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。