Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure that involves doing chest compressions on a person who is believed to not be breathing or have a heartbeat. The person executing the chest compressions is essentially manually performing the heart’s function of sending oxygenated blood to the body and keeping the brain and other organs alive. For this reason, it is crucial that CPR is performed immediately after someone collapses. If a person who is not breathing or having a heart rhythm does not receive any help, their brain will begin to die within 3-4 minutes, and after 9 minutes, the brain damage will be irreversible and the person will most likely die.

When uncertain about the necessity of performing CPR on a person, ALWAYS err on the side of caution and begin chest compressions right away. In such a high-stress situation, even those who have experience and training in CPR can find it hard to keep calm and remember how to do so properly. Fortunately, 911 dispatchers are trained to guide the bystander through the performing of CPR.

It is important to note that, especially when in a situation where the person has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, chest compressions alone will not suffice to bring a person back to life. However, if medical professionals are able to revive the person, their way of life will be dramatically improved if CPR was performed previous to their arrival.