CPR Facts

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation--most commonly known as CPR--is performed when someone has gone into cardiac arrest, meaning their heart has stopped pumping, or in some instances when they have stopped breathing. Many people are trained in CPR, and in an emergency it might be performed by a bystander, an emergency responder or by a trained medical professional.

History

• Dr. H.R. Silvester described the first use of a method similar to CPR in the 19th century. Silvester called for the patient to be placed on his back with his arms raised above his head. You then pressed against the chest of the victim to help him exhale. The process was repeated 16 times per minute. In the Boy Scout Handbook of 1911, Holger Neilson described artificial respiration in which the victim was laid on her side and upward pressure was applied to force air into the lungs. It was in the mid-20th century that chest compressions became a part of the procedure. CPR as it is practiced today originated at John Hopkins University, and the process was presented to the Maryland Medical Society in 1960.

Purpose

• CPR generally doesn't restart the heart. The purpose of performing CPR is to keep blood flowing to the brain and heart of the victim. This extends the amount of time for resuscitation to take place with medical procedures such as life support or defibrillation. The process of CPR continues until more advanced medical intervention can begin, until the heart begins to beat on its own again or until the victim is declared dead.

Method

• CPR involves rescue breathing and chest compressions. CPR is most often effective if it begins within six minutes of the time cardiac arrest begins. Current recommendations are to use two hands--one on top of the other--in the center of the chest to do compressions, which should be delivered in a hard and fast method for adults and children older than 8. The compressions should be 1.5 to 2 inches deep. The general recommendation is to give 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths. For infants, use two fingers for chest compressions, and the compressions are not as deep as those on adults.

Success

• Because CPR isn't designed to start the heart beating again but only to extend the window of time during which the patient can be resuscitated, success rates depend greatly on the care that is delivered immediately after CPR. According to the American Heart Association, if CPR begins within a few minutes of cardiac arrest and defibrillation is given with three to five minutes of arrest, success is greater than 50 percent. According to the association, in Seattle where there is widespread training in CPR and defibrillation response time is short, survival rates are about 30 percent. However, in New York, where few bystanders are likely to provide CPR and response time for defibrillation is longer, survival rates are reduced to 1 percent to 2 percent.

Training

• There are several organizations that offer CPR training and certification. The American Heart Association can provide information about classes in your area. Call [phone]. The American Red Cross and the American Heart Association allow you to enter your ZIP code on their websites to find information about local CPR training. Both organizations also offer training courses in the community and at workplaces, churches, schools, clubs and other organizations.