Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) doubles or triples the chance of survival during cardiac arrest.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- By increasing blood flow to the organs, CPR provides a life-saving, temporary treatment for cardiac arrest
- If someone near you experiences cardiac arrest, you should first call 911, then immediately begin CPR
- For the general public, hands-only CPR, or compression-only CPR, is recommended and highly effective
- Perform chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute; this is about the same beat as the song “Stayin’ Alive”
- If you have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED), which are required in many public spaces, follow its simple instructions to deliver a shock to the heart
Would you know what to do if a loved one — or even a stranger — went into cardiac arrest? Knowing what to do in this emergency situation, and administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), could save a life. CPR, which involves making chest compressions on the person affected, helps increase blood flow to the organs1Johns Hopkins Medicine, Health, Cardiac Arrest until more advanced treatment is available.
Keep reading with a private membership…
Subscribe to keep reading this article and access all article archives. See membership options.
Already a paid subscriber? Sign in.
- 1
