americans is this true ?

looloo

i was at a first aid course the other day and was told that americans no longer teach mouth to mouth resusatation which i think is quite possible but the reason given was that 1 out of 3 people in the states is either hiv or has hep b or c i find that hard to believe , any ideas ?

Lillith26

I'm from Australia and have done our "first aid course". My first aid 'kits' that I have at home and in the car have mouth gaurds for use during 'mouth to mouth'- this is to prevent the spread of most bacteria from person to person ( from the patients point of view it would be hard to say "thanks for saving my life, but now I have cold sores- Thanks Mate!"). Im pretty sure it's just the 'American' fear of being sued for resussing someone who doesn't like french kissing that may put some people off doing it LOL ( Skippy just joking- I love the USA).

purplesofa

I took a CPR course not long ago and it taught mouth to mouth, and did suggest using mouth guards.

There was no scare about contracting HIV or hep B or C told in the class.

In an emergency, it's likely that we would not even have mouthguards handy.

purps

mkr32208

No, it's not true.

American CPR has gone to many more compressions to breaths 30-2 because it's now understood that keeping up blood pressure, blood flow and cardiac output is much more important than swapping out the air. Has nothing to do with disease.

carla

My girlfriend just had to retest for her certification (in the medical field) and she was taught mouth to mouth. mrk32208 is correct, they have changed the compressions/breaths. My friend said they suggest mouth guards for various reasons not just disease but many are unaware that people who need CPR may also have vomitted. 1out of 3 have HIV?! I find that difficult to believe, I don't know anyone who is HIV and nobody I know knows of anyone with HIV either. Friend in the medical communtiy has yet to run into an HIV person yet and she has worked in the city (though not as much) and outlying suburbs. Hep B or C? find that number rather high as well.

Lillith26

Purps- in Australia you can buy the disposable mouth gaurds that fit snug in your handbag at most pharmacies/drug stores.

Priest73

1 out of 3 people in the states is either hiv or has hep b or c

WTF?

coffee_black

I have no idea where that kind of misinformation is coming from.

I don't know anyone with HIV either. I do know 1 person with Hep C .

Coffee

purplesofa

Purps- in Australia you can buy the disposable mouth gaurds that fit snug in your handbag at most pharmacies/drug stores.

Yes, I think we can get them here as well,

jamiebowers

Of the many people I know in the U.S., one, who is a gay man has HIV and was infected before AIDS was discovered and one who is a female drug addict has Hep B. I'm almost 45 years old, have lived in several cities in three states. The one out of three stat has to be wrong.

americans is this true ?

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