While most people today have a general understanding of the concept behind cardiopulmonary resuscitation<\/em> (CPR), the history of this life-saving procedure is widely unknown by the general public. This week, we’re going to dive a little deeper into the history of CPR, revealing it’s origins and evolution over the years.<\/p>\n

The Silvester Method<\/h2>\n

The truth is that no single person is responsible for inventing CPR. There have been dozens of procedures over the years which incorporate “parts” of modern-day CPR. The Silvester Method<\/em> is one such procedure that helped shape modern-day CPR into what it is. Created by\u00a0Doctor H. R. Silvester in the 19th century, the Silvester Method is characterized by lying the victim down on his or her back, raising their arms, and pressing down onto the chest to trigger exhalations. This is done at a pace of 16 times per minute.<\/span><\/p>\n

Holger Nielsen<\/h2>\n

In 1911, the\u00a0Holger Nielsen<\/em> method was published in a Boy Scout’s handbook. It’s was strikingly similar to the Silverster method but for one major difference: in the Holger Nielsen method, the victim is placed face-down on the floor or ground, at which point the person performing the procedure pressed against the victim’s back to force air into their lungs. This became a highly popular method, and it was even depicted in an episode of Lassie, as well as several cartoon shows. The concept between the\u00a0Holger Nielsen and Silvester Method\u00a0are pretty much the same, with the only difference being the position of the victim.<\/p>\n

A Pulse of Life<\/h2>\n

While these two techniques were widely used at the time, it wasn’t until the mid 1800s when a standardized method involving both chest compressions and mouth ventilations began to form. Three esteemed medical professionals,\u00a0James Jude, Guy Knickerbocker and Peter Safar, created a video which depicted both of these techniques being used in a single procedure. The video, titled “A Pulse of Life<\/em>,” gained acceptable in the medical community in the years to follow.<\/p>\n

So, why did\u00a0Jude, Knickerbocker and Safar feel the need to include mouth ventilations into the procedure? They believed that ventilations were necessary to keep the victim’s blood oxygenated. While this helped shape CPR into what it is today, the American Heart Association (AHA) has since debunked this theory, stating that mouth ventilations are not required.<\/p>\n

To recap, CPR is the culmination of centuries worth of medical studies and data. While the details have changed, the overall concept remains the same: to keep victims of cardiac arrest alive by promoting blood flow to the heart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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