The Importance of CPR for Survival After Cardiac Arrest

By: The American Heart Association

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Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops abruptly with little or no warning. When it occurs, the key to survival is quick action by someone nearby administering CPR. CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, helps keep blood flowing to vital organs, especially the brain, until more advanced medical care can be provided. Without CPR, brain damage can occur within minutes, and death can follow shortly thereafter.

Nine out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, according to American Heart Association data, and fewer than half of those people get the immediate help they need before emergency responders arrive.

Cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem in the heart.

It is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds later, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing or is only gasping. Death occurs quickly if the person does not receive CPR right away.

Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack. People often confuse cardiac arrest with a heart attack or use these terms interchangeably, but they are not the same. Heart attacks, which are a circulation issue and happen when blood flow to the heart is blocked, can often lead to cardiac arrest but not vice versa.

Regardless of why cardiac arrest occurred, immediate CPR is needed. When appropriate, a shock from an automated external defibrillator (AED) should be used to restart the heart and restore its normal rhythm. Then the patient can be safely moved for further medical treatment, supportive care, testing to determine what the cause of the arrest may have been and recovery. This includes both physical and mental health resources for the cardiac arrest survivor and their family.

Each year in the United States, an estimated 350,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. Roughly 70% of cardiac arrests that do not happen in the hospital occur in homes and private residences, therefore, a friend or family member is mostly likely to be the person who needs to act.

CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.

For adults and adolescent children, compression-only CPR, known as Hands-Only CPR can be as effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes. It is a skill everyone can learn. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute. Participants who learn Hands-Only CPR are taught the correct rate and depth of compressions and how to use an AED.