Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life saving emergency procedure for a person whose heart has stopped or is no longer breathing. It can maintain circulation and breathing until emergency medical help arrives.
It involves two important actions; chest compression and mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing.
When suddenly a person collapses, you, who happens to be near the victim, either trained or untrained, should perform CPR.
Here's the latest advice from the American Heart Association:
- Untrained. If you're not trained in CPR, then provide hands-only CPR. That means uninterrupted chest presses of about two per second until paramedics arrive. You don't need to try rescue breathing.
- Trained, and ready to go. If you're well trained, and confident in your ability, then you can opt for one of two approaches: 1. Alternate between 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths, or 2. Just do chest compressions.
- Trained, but rusty. If you've previously received CPR training, but you're not confident in your abilities, then it's fine to do just chest compressions.
Before you begin
Assess the situation before starting CPR:
- Is the person conscious or unconscious?
- If the person appears unconscious, tap or shake his or her shoulder and ask loudly, "Are you OK?"
- If the person doesn't respond and two people are available, one should call 911 or the local emergency number and one should begin CPR. If you are alone and have immediate access to a telephone, call 911 before beginning CPR — unless you think the person has become unresponsive because of suffocation (such as from drowning). In this special case, begin CPR for one minute and then call 911.
- If an AED is immediately available, deliver one shock if advised by the device, then begin CPR.
Remember the ABCs
Think ABC — Airway, Breathing and Circulation
Move quickly through Airway and Breathing to begin chest compressions to restore circulation.
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