Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is one of three primary actions rescuers must perform to save the life of a sudden cardiac arrest victim.  The others are to call 911 and to retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED) to revive the victim.   Failure of a witness to immediately take these steps usually results in the victim’s death.

Up to 300,000 people in the United States each year experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).  Comparably, automobile crashes result in about 44,000 deaths annually.  Deaths from fire, falls from significant heights, drowning, floods, farming accidents, mining disasters, etc. combined add up to only a small fraction of sudden cardiac arrest deaths.

Numerous national studies and data collection efforts found that the death rate of sudden cardiac arrest is approximately 95 percent.  Those who survive have the following in common:  1) most were witnessed (seen or heard) when they collapsed, and 2) nearly all received bystander CPR beginning as soon as they were found and maintained until the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS).  In fact, some studies suggest that a witnessed SCA victim who receives good CPR until EMS arrives has at least a 20-25 percent better chance of survival.

Unfortunately, data collection efforts in Greater Cincinnati suggest that a sudden cardiac arrest victim has as little as a 10 percent chance of receiving bystander CPR until EMS arrives. It is estimated that 1,200 cardiac arrests occur annually throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.  That suggests as few as 120 victims are receiving bystander CPR and only 24-30 survive.  

CPR training that may take one to three hours is available in through the American Red Cross, American Heart Association and many other organizations. Refresher training should be performed every year or two.  Research is ongoing on how to best perform CPR and guidelines are updated about every five years.  If you took a class years ago, you may find CPR today to be different—and much easier!

You can make a difference!  Call Project Heart ReStart, the American Red Cross, or the American Heart Association today to register for a CPR class for you and your family.

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