The 'kiss of life' was described in the Bible and its first
'scientific' recommendation was by the Paris Academy of Sciences in
1740 as a treatment of drowning victims.
It was subsequently re-invented in 1956 by Drs Safar and Elam as
'mouth to mouth resuscitation' and in 1960, mouth-to-mouth
ventilations, combined with closed chest compressions, was adopted
by the American Heart Association and has since been taught across
the world as the most appropriate intervention by members of the
public when witnessing a cardiac arrest.
Or is it?
On Monday 21 February, Malcolm Woollard, Professor of
Pre-hospital and Emergency Care from the Faculty of Health and Life
Sciences at Coventry University, will be giving a Professorial
Lecture about the use of the 'kiss of life' and why some experts in
1998 controversially recommended that mouth-to-mouth training be
removed from public classes.
Professor Woollard said:
"There has been overwhelming evidence that CPR was too
complicated to learn in a two hour course and I will be looking at
whether teaching artificial ventilation to the public is of benefit
or harm. The subject has since created a cross-Atlantic divide in
treatment recommendations."
Professor Woollard will be reviewing the latest research and
asking if it is indeed the 'kiss of life or the kiss of death?'
The talk takes place in the Humber Lecture Theatre of the George
Eliot Building, Coventry University campus on Monday 21 February at
6pm.
Admission is free and open to the public and refreshments will
be available after the lecture at 7pm.
To book a place at the lecture, email:
suky.dhillon@coventry.ac.uk or call 024 7679 5294.
For more information about Coventry University, please visit
their website here: www.coventry.ac.uk