Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Emergency procedure combining chest compressions and ventilation to sustain life.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure performed when a person is in cardiac or respiratory arrest. It combines chest compressions with artificial ventilation to maintain blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and other vital organs, buying time until the heart and lungs can resume function on their own. CPR is indicated for anyone who is unresponsive and not breathing, or who is breathing only in occasional, abnormal gasps known as agonal respirations. While CPR alone is unlikely to restart the heart, its primary goal is to restore a partial flow of oxygenated blood, delaying tissue death and extending the brief window for successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage. The brain can sustain damage after about four minutes without blood flow, with irreversible damage occurring after roughly seven minutes, though low body temperature, as seen in near-drownings, can prolong survival time.
For adults, chest compressions should be at least two inches deep and delivered at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. The recommended ratio of compressions to breaths is 30 to 2. Current guidelines emphasize early, high-quality chest compressions over artificial ventilation, and a simplified method using only chest compressions is advised for untrained rescuers. However, for children, the 2015 American Heart Association guidelines note that compression-only CPR may lead to worse outcomes, as pediatric arrests typically stem from respiratory issues rather than cardiac ones. Defibrillation, an electric shock to the heart, is usually necessary to restore a viable rhythm, but it is effective only for specific rhythms like ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, not for asystole or pulseless electrical activity. CPR can sometimes induce a shockable rhythm. The procedure is continued until the person achieves return of spontaneous circulation or is declared dead. In cases of cardiac arrest due to trauma, CPR is considered futile but is still recommended, while correcting underlying causes such as tension pneumothorax or pericardial tamponade may help.
- field
- Emergency medicine
- known_for
- Chest compressions and artificial ventilation to maintain circulation and oxygenation during cardiac arrest
- compression_depth
- 5 cm to 6 cm (2.0 in to 2.4 in) for adults
- compression_to_breath_ratio
- 30 to 2 in adults
- critical_time_window
- Effective only if performed within seven minutes of blood flow stoppage
Lore & Background
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure performed when a person is in cardiac or respiratory arrest. Its primary purpose is to preserve brain function and maintain circulation by delivering chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, until spontaneous breathing and heartbeat can be restored. For adults, compressions should be between 5 cm and 6 cm deep and delivered at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. The rescuer may also provide artificial ventilation via mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or a mechanical device. Current guidelines prioritize early, high-quality chest compressions over ventilation; a compression-only method is recommended for untrained rescuers. However, for children, guidelines caution that compression-only CPR may lead to worse outcomes, as pediatric arrests typically stem from respiratory rather than cardiac causes. The recommended compression-to-ventilation ratio for adults is 30 compressions to 2 breaths. CPR alone rarely restarts the heart; its goal is to delay tissue death and extend the window for successful defibrillation, which is needed to restore a perfusing rhythm. Defibrillation is effective only for ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. CPR is indicated for anyone unresponsive with no breathing or only agonal gasps. The brain may suffer damage after about four minutes without blood flow, with irreversible damage after about seven minutes, though low body temperature can prolong survival time.
Reader's Guide
CPR is a critical emergency intervention that aims to restore partial flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart, delaying tissue death and extending the window for successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage. Its main purpose is not to restart the heart—defibrillation is usually needed for that—but to maintain circulation until a perfusing heart rhythm can be restored. CPR alone is unlikely to restart the heart; administration of an electric shock (defibrillation) is effective only for ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. CPR may succeed in inducing a shockable rhythm. The procedure is continued until the person has a return of spontaneous circulation or is declared dead. Guidelines recommend early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator when available, and for lone rescuers with drowning victims or unconscious children, two minutes of CPR before calling for help is advised.
Did You Know?
- CPR is effective only if performed within seven minutes of the stoppage of blood flow.
- For children, doing only chest compressions may result in worse outcomes because their cardiac arrest often stems from respiratory issues.
- Defibrillation is effective only for ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, not for asystole or pulseless electrical activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Cardiopulmonary resuscitation?
CPR is an emergency medical procedure activated when a person's heart has stopped beating or breathing has ceased. It sits at the heart of emergency medicine as the first-line intervention to keep a patient alive until advanced care can take over.
What are Cardiopulmonary resuscitation's powers/role?
Its signature moves are rhythmic chest compressions paired with artificial ventilation, working together to push oxygenated blood through the body. For adults, compressions are driven 5 to 6 cm deep on a 30-to-2 compression-to-breath rhythm.
How does Cardiopulmonary resuscitation's story end?
Its effective window closes roughly seven minutes after blood flow stops, past which irreversible brain damage sets in. The narrative goal is to bridge that gap until the heart and lungs spontaneously resume their own rhythm.
Why is Cardiopulmonary resuscitation important?
It is the only immediate, hands-on method to preserve brain function and sustain circulation once the body's own pumping and breathing have failed. Without it, the minutes between arrest and professional help become unsurvivable.
What are Cardiopulmonary resuscitation's key stats?
For adult patients, compressions must reach a depth of 5 to 6 cm (about 2.0 to 2.4 inches) and follow a 30-to-2 ratio with breaths. The procedure is indicated when a person is unresponsive and shows no normal breathing, including agonal gasps.
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