What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is an emergency procedure performed on people suffering cardiac arrest. The purpose of CPR is to provide a continuous flow of oxygen to the lungs and brain until the person regains consciousness. The human brain can only survive an average of three minutes without oxygen, after which time permanent damage is done. By performing CPR on a victim, the rescuer is upping the chances for a full recovery. However, it is important to remember that CPR alone is rarely enough for a person to survive. The true purpose of CPR is to keep the heart pumping and the oxygen flowing to the brain until emergency care arrives.

CPR is often used when no other assistance methods, such as defibrillators, are available, but it can also be done by medical professionals on patients who have just recently lost their pulse. The International Consensus Conference on CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science, which was held in 2005, established that it is not longer necessary for health professionals to check for a pulse before starting CPR. In fact, it is believed that many victims could have been saved if CPR had been performed on them earlier on; it is now when the casualty is unconscious and not breathing when CPR should be started.

CPR can be performed on children of any age, including babies,on infants, the procedure is the same as in adults, although the pressure exerted in the chest should be much less.