CPR Overview
What is CPR
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR, is performed on victims of cardiac arrest, a term that means the heart has stopped pumping blood.
- Cardio means "of the heart" and pulmonary means "of the lungs." Resuscitation is a medical term that means "to revive" or bring back to life.
- By performing CPR, you will become the pump that moves blood throughout the victim’s body, preserving the victim’s life until paramedics arrive.
- Good Samaritan laws protect you when you give care with no payment expected in return.
- The American Heart Association statistics state nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, and 7, 000 of these victims are children.
NOTE: The statistics noted throughout the modules help to illustrate key concepts, but they are not as important as the key concepts and specific steps associated with each module, and thus they are not reflected in the Quick Checks or End of Course Assessment.
- 79 percent of cardiac arrests at schools are witnessed, compared with just 62 percent at other public locations.
- Prior to their cardiac arrests, many victims appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors.
- Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.