What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency technique used to treat patients who have gone into sudden cardiac arrest. CPR can be performed by a health care professional or by a trained lay person. CPR is conducted until a person receives more advanced emergency care.
Performed immediately, CPR increases a person’s likelihood of survival by more than 40 %.
Sudden cardio-pulmonary arrest is a condition where a patient stops breathing on his own and/or heart stops beating normally and blood circulation to body parts stops. Permanent brain damage or death can occur within minutes if blood flow stops. Therefore, it is critical that blood flow and breathing be continued until trained medical help arrives.
The Importance of CPR
The goal of CPR and first aid training is to educate about the skills required to save lives along with prevention and safety that would greatly reduce risks of numerous preventable accidents.
Being ready for emergencies like stroke, cardiac arrest, choking, or heart attack can increase a victim’s chances for survival if one has the knowledge and training for CPR and first aid.
Knowing how to conduct CPR and initiate it increases the survival time of a victim until advanced medical help or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or Ambulance arrives.
More on CPR in a next post.