In a major change, the American Heart Association said Monday that rapid, deep chest presses until help arrives works just as well for sudden cardiac arrest in adults as standard CPR -- which also includes mouth-to-mouth breathing.

"You only have to do two things: call 911 and push hard and fast on the middle of the person's chest," said Dr. Michael Sayre, an emergency medicine professor at Ohio State University who headed the committee that made the recommendation.

Over the years, I have taken CPR training on a variety of occasions. Yet, I've never been in a situation where I've ever needed to utilize the training.

Yet, I've heard stories about mouthes filled with potentially disgusting bodily fluids and would-be CPR-givers reluctant to get involved.

Knowing that chest compressions alone can be as effective as chest compressions combined with mouth-to-mouth is good to know. It's a good day if more people become willing to get involved and try to save another person's life.