Doctor pushes for compression-only CPR

TUCSON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- The head of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center says chest compression only, and not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, should be used in emergency cardiac cases.

Dr. Gordon Ewy has been criticized by many in the medical profession for his belief that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation detracts from the effectiveness of compression, The Arizona Republic reported Tuesday.

"It's OK to be cantankerous and opinionated if you're right," he told the Republic. "And we're right."

In the mid-1990s, Ewy pioneered the idea of continuous chest compression for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, though many doctors still believe CPR should include mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In 2008, the American Heart Association said compression-only CPR was an option for people not trained in CPR or unsure of their skill. The association's advisory applied only to cases of adults in cardiac arrest, not children, and excluded drownings and drug overdoses.

Ewy said he aims to convince more people of his method next month in Dallas during a meeting of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, which represents the world's major resuscitation groups.