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Medicine

James Jude, MD Co-inventor of CPR, Dies At 87 43

New submitter voxelman writes: Jim Jude, my uncle, was a kind and modest man. The impact of his insight into the significance of a change in blood pressure from the application of defibrillation paddles to a dog's chest has led to the saving of millions of lives through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). His passing is a release from a debilitating illness that made a mockery of his contributions to medical science. He will be missed by all that knew him.
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James Jude, MD Co-inventor of CPR, Dies At 87

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    This guy did not "invent" CPR.

    • by Qzukk ( 229616 ) on Thursday July 30, 2015 @12:29PM (#50215819) Journal

      I'd love to hear how people performed CPR in the 1700s. Did they have a clue what they were doing or were they just beating the Devil out of the man?

      Jude was a member of a team of people who worked out compression frequency and breathing and then demonstrated that it worked on humans as an alternative to cutting them open and massaging their heart by hand.

      Prior to that, people just blew air into you, then pushed on your chest to push the air out [wikipedia.org] or moved your arms and chest around to get air in and out of your lungs. They didn't even think about trying to get your heart to beat for you, except maybe by accident.

      • On the one hand, yes, CPR traces it's history [procpr.org] to the 1700s, even if it wasn't the entire modern version.

        On the other hand I can find at least two [wikipedia.org] references [sharecare.com] which acknowledge Jude as being part of the modern version of it.

        But, more to the point ... thanks to all of the people throughout history who have helped us find ways to save lives.

        And you can be damned sure that the use of CPR in its modern form has saved a tremendous amount of lives.

        Sorry for your loss, voxelman. Few people can claim to have contrib

        • And you can be damned sure that the use of CPR in its modern form has saved a tremendous amount of lives.

          No, you can't be sure about that. In movies and fictional TV shows, CPR is depicted positively, with 75% of CPR recipients getting up and going about their lives with no ill effects, often within minutes. In real life, most CPR recipients die, and those that survive the procedure often have severe brain damage or debilitating injuries to other organs. Many are confined to bed or a wheelchair for the rest of their life. Less than 5% [cnn.com] have a good quality of life outcome.

          About 80% of the public say they wou

          • Even assuming your figures are correct, I'd rather end up bed-ridden or in a wheelchair than dead.
        • Clearly it was invented by cats. [youtube.com]

    • Actually, CPR dates back to classical antiquity. Ceramic pots from the time of the Parthian empire depict physicians performing CPR on patients.
    • This guy did not "invent" CPR.

      There really should be a "-1 douchebag" mod option.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    I didn't know your uncle but you have my sympathy for your loss.

    I hope you take comfort from the fact he truly made a vast difference to the lives of people in a way that most people can only dream about.

    I hope you also think about those people his research saved and realise that amongst them will be people who went on to also further help society.

    • by arth1 ( 260657 )

      I hope you take comfort from the fact he truly made a vast difference to the lives of people in a way that most people can only dream about.

      Four out of five elderly people given CPR end up dying [theguardian.com] within days. Many of them with prolonged and intense suffering due to CPR prolonging the inevitable.
      And in some cases CPR is given when it's not warranted, breaking ribs, collapsing lungs or otherwise causing serious and sometimes fatal damage.

      It's a useful tool for saving lives when not used indiscriminately. But that's how we use it. If I keel over, please don't resuscitate unless there is at least a 50% chance of long-term success, and less than a

      • If I keel over, please don't resuscitate unless there is at least a 50% chance of long-term success, and less than a 50% chance of causing long-term damage. It's just a life.

        Just tattoo that requisition on to your chest along with the relevant link for inputting your clinical parameters to determine the likelihood of resuscitation and we'll be happy to oblige.

        Signed, your local EMS team.

        • by nytes ( 231372 )

          I think it depends on the jurisdiction that you're in, and the medical team treating you, as to whether or not do-not-resuscitate requests are honored.

          Just a couple of days ago I had to sign a paper at my doctor's office that expressly allows them to ignore any such order should anything happen during a procedure.

          Also, I was told by our local hospital that their policy is always to revive.

      • Four out of five elderly people given CPR end up dying within days. Many of them with prolonged and intense suffering due to CPR prolonging the inevitable.

        We certainly need more thought about end-of-life care, living wills, and do-not-resuscitate orders. But CPR is not the only intervention affected by that.

        And in some cases CPR is given when it's not warranted, breaking ribs, collapsing lungs or otherwise causing serious and sometimes fatal damage.

        Sometimes, yes, but more rarely than you might think [nih.gov].

        If I

      • by tomhath ( 637240 )
        It's called a "DNR" - Do Not Resuscitate. The EMTs will ask if you signed one as soon as they see you stretched out on the floor.
        • by arth1 ( 260657 )

          It's called a "DNR" - Do Not Resuscitate. The EMTs will ask if you signed one as soon as they see you stretched out on the floor.

          But see, i dowant to be resuscitated in ways that will not cripple me or make my final days unbearable. Defibrillator? Bring it on. Adrenaline? Jab it in.
          CPR? No thanks.

      • Four out of five elderly people given CPR end up dying [theguardian.com] within days

        So one in five survives.

  • Thank You (Score:5, Interesting)

    by medv4380 ( 1604309 ) on Thursday July 30, 2015 @12:12PM (#50215637)
    If it wasn't for CPR starting to catch on I wouldn't even exist. April 16, 1963 a man left what is now the Idaho Nuclear Laboratory where he had been training people on CPR before the push in the 70's for it to be main stream. Because of poor funding of education my mother, 9, was on a crowded school bus when the emergency door popped open. She fell from the bus, and died when she hit the pavement at 35 mph. That man wasn't too far behind the bus, and was able to perform CPR to keep her heart going until the ambulance was able to arrive.
  • by superid ( 46543 ) on Thursday July 30, 2015 @02:45PM (#50217221) Homepage

    I'm a CPR instructor and I will mention this to the class of 16 that I'm teaching in 2 hours. Out of hospital cardiac arrest survival rates are still an abysmally low 8% because bystanders are often paralyzed, fearful, unwilling to get involved, and timidly participate when they do. The American Heart Association's new goal is to double survival rates by 2020. In his memory, you should find a class, bring a friend, learn how to react and be willing to do so.

  • Dear voxelman, sincere condolences for the loss of your uncle. However, I must say I'm a bit perturbed by your suggestion that his ailments later in life made his life or contributions a mockery. In fact, I feel that this idea is somewhat antithetical to the act of CPR itself which struggles to respect and aid those whose very life functions are failing them. It is the normal course of human life for ailment and illness to overtake the human body, but that by no means diminishes the life that was lived,

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