CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.  CPR is used to save lives. It might be a toddler who accidentally swallowed something, an adult suffering from cardiac arrest, or even an experienced swimmer who starts to drown. When the emergency arises, CPR is often the only way to save the person’s life.

CPR should only be administered when the person’s heart or breathing has stopped. CPR helps move blood (and subsequently oxygen) to the brain and heart. Without oxygen, the person will die. Without blooding moving through the heart, the person will die. CPR can mean the difference between life and death.

Some people automatically identify CPR with the  Heimlich maneuver. The Heimlich maneuver is used only when a person is choking. The Heimlich maneuver is classified as CPR but, more often, CPR involves cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

CPR is performed when a person’s heart stops beating. This is called cardiac arrest. Causes of cardiac arrest include heart disease, drowning, choking, and an accident. CPR is also performed when a person has stopped breathing. Blood (and oxygen) must be restored to the brain to prevent brain damage and (ultimately) death.

You should NOT perform CPR if the person is conscious. CPR is not appropriate if the person is having a heart attack or is choking. Those medical emergencies are covered in other lessons in this course.

CPR involves three steps

1) Chest compressions

2) opening the person’s airway

3) giving rescue breaths.

We’ll cover each of these steps in the next lesson on The 3 Steps of CPR

We also offer a free certificate of completion. To receive the certificate you must pass a 50-question test with a score of 70 or higher. Check our Basic First Aid Certificate of Completion page for more information.