Dr. Jon Hallberg: Mouth-to-mouth eliminated from CPR guidelines

Dr. Jon Hallberg
Dr. Jon Hallberg, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Medical Director at the University of Minnesota. He is a regular medical analyst on MPR's All Things Considered.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Jon Hallberg

If you've gone through CPR training, you know that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation has been a part of the potentially lifesaving process for decades.

Now the American Heart Association wants to streamline the CPR process, with the hope of saving even more lives. The AHA has published new guidelines this week in the journal "Circulation."

The newest guidelines call for just two actions in the case of cardiac arrest. First, call 911, then start chest compressions - leaving out mouth-to-mouth.

MPR's Tom Crann speaks with regular medical analyst Dr. Jon Hallberg about the changes to CPR guidelines.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.