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CPR in Adults and Children

According to the American Heart Association Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was created in 1960 and can double and even triple a victim's chance of survival in the event of a cardiac arrest. CPR, if started within four minutes of a collapse and defibrillation provided within 10 minutes, can increase the chances of survival by 40 percent.

  1. CPR for Adults

    • When an adult is in need of CPR, the first step is to check for unresponsiveness. If the victim is not responsive the rescuer should first call 911 and then return to the victim. The rescuer should then check for breathing by tilting the head back and listening. If no breath sounds are heard he should begin CPR by pinching the nose, covering the mouth and giving two one-second breaths. If this does not induce respiration, the rescuer should begin chest compressions in addition to the rescue breaths. Two breaths to 30 pumps are appropriate for adults.

    CPR for Children

    • CPR for children ages 1 to 8 is similar to CPR for adults with a few variations. Rescuers should remain with the child, performing CPR for two minutes prior to calling 911. Also they should use the heel of one or two hands for chest compressions that press the sternum approximately one-third the depth of the chest. Children over the age of 8 years old should receive the same CPR technique as an adult. Children under the age of 1 year should be tapped and shouted at to check for responsiveness and should receive two gentle breaths and 30 chest compressions done with just two or three fingers rather than the heel of a hand.

    Complications from CPR

    • The most common complication related to receiving CPR is vomiting from the victim. In the event that a victim vomits, the rescuer can be assured that the spread of infection is extremely rare and there have been no reports of HIV or AIDS transmitted via CPR. Cracked and broken ribs are an additional frequent complication from CPR and happen more commonly in older victims due to less compliant cartilage.

    Refusal of CPR

    • Adults have the right to refuse resuscitation, called "do-not-attempt-resuscitation" or DNAR. When a DNAR order is in place, healthcare professionals will not attempt CPR but will continue to give the best care possible in all other ways.

    Cough/Self CPR

    • While coughing may be effective in maintaining blood flow in a conscious, responsive person suffering from a sudden arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm, it is not endorsed by the American Heart Association as an appropriate CPR technique. If a life-threatening arrhythmia is detected within the first 10 to 15 seconds and prior to loss of consciousness, a healthcare provider may instruct the patient to cough, but this should not be mistaken for proper strategy in the event of a cardiac arrest. Coughing in a pre-hospital setting is not appropriate because the first signal to perform CPR is unresponsiveness, which prevents the victim from using coughs to combat cardiac arrest due to being unconscious.

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