Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Training Video

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

is an emergency procedure for manually

preserving brain function until further measures to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive with no breathing or abnormal breathing, for example, agonal respirations.

Per the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation guidelines, CPR involves chest compressions at least 5 cm (2 in) deep and at a rate of at least 100 per minute to pump blood through the heart and thus the body. The rescuer may provide breaths by either exhaling into the subject's mouth or nose or a device that pushes air into the subject's lungs; externally providing ventilation is termed artificial respiration. Current recommendations place emphasis on high-quality chest compressions over artificial respiration; a simplified CPR method involving chest compressions only is recommended for untrained rescuers.

CPR alone is unlikely to restart the heart; its main purpose is to restore partial flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart. The objective is to delay tissue death and to extend the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage. Administration of an electric shock to the subject's heart, termed defibrillation, is usually needed in order to restore a viable or "perfusing" heart rhythm. Defibrillation is only effective for certain heart rhythms, namely ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, rather than asystole or pulseless electrical activity. CPR may succeed in inducing a heart rhythm which may be shockable. CPR is generally continued until the patient has a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) or is declared dead.