FUNDAMENTALS OF CPR

When a person breathes in, the inhaled air travels to the lungs where oxygen is picked up by the blood and then pumped by the heart to the tissue and organs. But when a person experiences cardiac arrest – whether due to heart failure (more typical in adults and the elderly) or an injury resulting in severe trauma (more typical for a child or infant) – the heart begins an arrhythmic pattern called ventricular fibrillation, and eventually may cease to beat altogether. And once the heart stops and oxygen no longer circulates, the victim’s cells, tissue, and eventually his organs begin to die. Complete death is likely to occur after about 10 minutes of loss of oxygen to the brain.

When properly administered, Cardio (heart) Pulmonary (lung) Resuscitation (revive, revitalize) – commonly known as CPR – functions as the victim’s artificial heartbeat and artificial respirator and can delay the effects of oxygen deprivation and save their life.

CPR consists of 3 main components (tip: to remember these components in their proper sequence, use the acronym C-A-B):

• Chest compressions
• Airway
• Breathing