Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure involving chest compressions (pressing down on the chest) and artificial respiration (rescue breathing). It has the power to restore blood flow to someone experiencing cardiac arrest, keeping them alive until an ambulance arrives.

When a person stops breathing and the heart stops beating, the condition is called cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest may have a variety of causes – heart attack, drowning, stroke, electrocution, suffocation, drug overdose, motor vehicle or other injury. Almost 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home and are witnessed by a family member.

Why CPR is important

• CPR is a life-saving skill that can save the life of someone who has experienced a cardiac arrest (which occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating and a person stops breathing).

• Approximately 40,000 cardiac arrests occur in Canada every year, and for every minute that passes without help, a victim's chance of surviving drops by about 10 per cent.

• Over 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home or in public places - and less than five per cent of these victims survive.

• Research shows that 35 to 55 per cent of out-of-hospital arrests are witnessed by a bystander, often a family member or friend, but very few victims receive CPR.

• Once the heart stops pumping, seconds count: knowing how to respond to a cardiac arrest can increase the odds of survival and recovery by 30 per cent or more.