The administration of life-saving measures to a person who has suffered a cardiac arrest. A person in cardiac arrest is not breathing and has no detectable pulse or heartbeat. First, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (see artificial respiration) is given; if this fails to restart breathing, repeated chest compressions, using the heel of
the hand, are applied to the lower breastbone until trained help arrives.
Both these measures are used to restore blood circulation to the brain.
Brain damage is likely if the brain is starved of oxygen for more than 3–4 minutes.
(CPR) an emergency procedure for life support, consisting of artificial respiration and manual external cardiac massage. It is used in cases of cardiac arrest or apparent sudden death resulting from electric shock, drowning, respiratory arrest, or other causes, to establish effective circulation and ventilation in order to prevent irreversible brain damage. External cardiac massage compresses the heart, forcing blood into the systemic and pulmonary circulation; venous blood refills the heart when the compression is released. *Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or a mechanical form of ventilation oxygenates the blood being pumped through the circulatory system.
The use of life-saving measures of mouth-tomouth resuscitation and external cardiac compression massage in a person who has collapsed with CARDIAC ARREST. Speedy restoration of the circulation of oxygenated blood to the brain is essential to prevent damage to brain tissues from oxygen starvation. The brain is irreversibly damaged if it is starved of oxygen for more than 4–5 minutes. Someone whose heart has stopped will be very pale or blue-grey (in particular, round the lips) and unresponsive; he or she will not be breathing and will have no pulse. It is important to determine that the collapsed person has not simply fainted before starting CPR. The procedure is described under car-diac/respiratory arrest in APPENDIX 1: BASIC FIRST AID. In hospital, or when paramedical sta? are attending an emergency, CPR may include the use of a DEFIBRILLATOR to apply a controlled electric shock to the heart via the chest wall.... cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr)
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