WHY DID THE STEPS FOR CPR CHANGE FROM A-B-C TO C-A-B?

Why Did the Steps of CPR change from A-B-C to C-A-B?

Does the thought of putting your mouth on the mouth of a total stranger give you the heebie-jeebies? Even if you’re aware of CPR’s role in saving lives, you may think twice about performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation because of the fear of getting an infection.

The good news is that in 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) changed CPR’s longstanding A-B-C (Airway, Breathing, Compressions) sequence to C-A-B (Compressions, Airway, Breathing). The old A-B-C sequence for CPR consisted of the following steps:

1. Airways – Tilt the victim’s head and lift his chin to open the airway
2. Breathing – Pinch the victim’s nose and breathe into the mouth
3. Compressions – Apply pressure to the victim’s chest

The new C-A-B (Compressions, Airway, Breathing) sequence teaches rescuers to perform chest presses before anything else. But after four decades, why did the AHA implement such a drastic change? There is a lot of buzz surrounding the A-B-C to C-A-B update because it requires anyone who learned CPR previously to get re-educated, but the AHA thinks the pros outweigh the cons.

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