CPR Basics

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a first-aid technique used to keep victims of cardiopulmonary arrest alive and to prevent brain damage while more advanced medical help is on the way. CPR has two goals:

• keep blood flowing throughout the body
• keep air flowing in and out of the lungs

While the modern emergency room has high-tech equipment and an arsenal of drugs to help treat victims of cardiopulmonary arrest, CPR is a simple technique that requires little or no equipment. What you do is pretty basic:

• Blow into the victim's mouth to push oxygenated air into the lungs. This allows oxygen to diffuse through the lining of the lungs into the bloodstream.
• Compress the victim's chest to artificially re-create blood circulation.

Here are the steps that make up CPR:

Photo courtesy of University of Washington

It sounds pretty simple, but as you can see above, CPR must be performed in a specific, timed sequence to accurately mimic your body's natural breathing pattern and the way your heart pumps. When someone collapses right in front of you, your first reaction is often sheer terror. But while you're panicked and unable to act, valuable minutes are slipping away. To counter this, many organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross offer classes that train you in CPR and basic first aid and give you hands-on practice to hone your CPR skills. Then, if you are confronted with an emergency situation, you are prepared to jump into action.