According to recent stats, more than 70% of SCA's or Sudden Cardiac Arrests occur at home or similar private settings. 95% of Sudden Cardiac Arrest victims die prior to even reaching the hospital. Out of all these numbers, only 6% survive cardiac arrests. Therefore, getting trained and acquainted with the basics of CPR and learning how to perform CPR may help you save the life of a loved one. An unresponsive victim with no signs of breathing and pulse is considered to be in a cardiac arrest. Providing CPR in the initial minutes can help circulate blood that contains oxygen to the victim's brain and other vital organs.
Key CPR Facts
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults. Most arrests occur in persons with underlying heart disease.
CPR doubles a person's chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest.
75% of all cardiac arrests happen in peoples' homes.
The typical victims of cardiac arrests are men in their early 60's and women in their late 60's.
Cardiac arrests occur twice as frequently in men compared to women.
More CPR Stats and Facts
CPR was invented in 1960.
There has never been a case of HIV transmitted by mouth-to-mouth CPR as HIV is not transmitted through saliva.
In sudden cardiac arrest, the heart goes from a normal heartbeat to a quivering rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). This happens in approximately 2/3rds of all cardiac arrests. VF is fatal unless an electric shock called defibrillation can be given. CPR does not stop VF but CPR extends the window of time in which defibrillation can be effective.
CPR provides oxygenated blood to the brain, heart and other vital organ and keeps these organs alive.
The sooner CPR is initiated after a collapse, the higher the chances are of survival.
Both compressions and breaths are very important to drowning, choking, drug overdose, and pediatric victims.
If you perform CPR, you can double or even triple the chances of survival for a person in cardiac arrest.
Compressions should be performed at a rate of 100-120/min. (To the tempo of the song "Staying alive").
For every minute that someone is unconscious and not breathing without CPR, they have a 10% less chance of survival.
350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital every year.
If someone is in cardiac arrest, CPR can only make the situation better.
The longest successful CPR save is 96 minutes long!
Many AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) will talk you through how to perform CPR with the press of a button.
The compression to ventilation ratio is 30 compressions to 2 breaths. Becoming certified to save a life can be done in less time than it takes to watch a long movie.
Children as young as 9 have saved the lives of others with CPR.
With widespread access to AEDs at least 40,000 lives would be saved each year.
The life you save with CPR will most likely be someone you love.
Info Provided by American Heart Association