The American Heart Association developed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, 52 years ago. CPR was first taught to physicians in the 1960s and later to nurses and health care teams. In the 1970s, this training was open to the general public. In 2010 and 2011, changes made CPR more user-friendly for lay rescuers.

Anyone can learn CPR, and everyone should. Sadly, 70 percent of Americans may feel helpless to act in a cardiac emergency because they do not know how to administer CPR or their training has significantly lapsed. About 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, so the life you save with CPR is most likely that of someone you love.

Sudden cardiac arrest, or SCA, is a leading cause of death in this country. CPR and the proper use of automated external defibrillators can prevent tragedies. Every year, more than 300,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital; less than 8 percent survive. The only way to save an SCA victim is through timely CPR and defibrillation. For every minute without action, a victim’s chance of survival decreases by approximately 10 percent.

With sudden cardiac arrest, which often occurs in individuals with unknown cardiac disease, normal blood flow is restricted due to the heart not contracting effectively. SCA is different from a heart attack.

In honor of National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 3–9), the AHA is asking everyone to watch a two-minute video about CPR. A study published in the March 8, 2011, issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes states that people who view an instructional video are significantly more likely to attempt hands-only resuscitation. CPR with just hand compressions has been proven as effective as CPR with breaths in treating adult cardiac arrest victims.

Take time to review the video and invite others to do the same. Increasing the number of people who know about hands-only CPR increases the chance that someone can help when an adult suddenly collapses, and more lives will be saved. The video is hilarious, short and to the point. There is an app for the iPhone, Android and Palm.

If you have not trained in CPR and you see or are with an unresponsive adult who is not breathing or is breathing abnormally, do not be afraid. Your actions can help. Call 911. Put the person on his or her back on a firm surface. Kneel next to the person’s neck and shoulders. Unbutton clothing to find the center of the chest and place the heel of the hand there, between the nipples. Use your entire upper body weight as you push straight up and down on (compress) the chest at least two inches. Push hard and fast at least 100 times per minute, to the rhythm of “Stayin’ Alive” from the movie Saturday Night Fever.

A chest compression presses the heart between the spine and sternum (breastbone), forcing blood out of the heart into the person’s brain and body. Do uninterrupted chest compressions until paramedics arrive or there are signs of movement from the person.

Calling 911 alerts the dispatcher to send medical help with an automated external defibrillator. AEDs can usually be found in public places such as airports, shopping malls, businesses, schools, churches, on airplanes and in police cars and ambulances. When attached to the chest, the AED senses the heart’s rhythm during cardiac arrest and delivers an electric shock, if needed, to get the heart beating again. The use of an AED along with CPR may save a life.

If you have been trained in CPR, changes to the CPR guidelines include “C-A-B” — circulation, airway and breathing — to help people remember the order of the steps of CPR. If you are well-trained and confident, begin with 30 chest compressions before checking the airway and giving rescue breaths. If you have received CPR training but are not confident in your abilities, do chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute.

If you are trained in CPR, after the 30 compressions, open the person’s airway by placing your palm on the person’s forehead and gently tilting the head back. With the other hand,
gently lift the chin forward to open the airway. If the person is not breathing or not breathing normally, begin mouth-to mouth breathing, using a barrier device if possible.

Give two rescue breaths followed by 30 more compressions to restore circulation. This is considered one cycle of CPR. If the person has not begun moving after five cycles (about two minutes) and an AED is available, apply it and follow the prompts. Administer one shock and resume CPR, starting with chest compressions, for two more minutes before delivering another shock.

CPR is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies in which someone’s breathing and heartbeat have stopped. The AHA recommends everyone, untrained bystanders and medical personnel alike, begin CPR with chest compressions. To learn CPR properly, take an accredited first aid training course including CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator.

Weblinks

American Heart Association

Hands-Only CPR

Staying Alive Video

The content of this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.