Cardiac Arrest

• In the event of cardiac arrest, CPR helps to circulate the blood and keep oxygen flowing to the brain. Without the help of CPR, a person in cardiac arrest can experience brain death---cessation of all brain activity---within 10 minutes. According to Melissa Conrad Stoppler, M.D., about 310,000 Americans die each year from cardiac arrest that occurs at home or in a public place.
  
  

Choking

• Choking occurs when food or other foreign objects become lodged in a victim's throat. The obstructed airway prevents the person from breathing. Small children are at risk of choking because they often put objects in their mouths or eat food that was not cut up small enough. In the event of a choking incident in an unconscious victim with no pulse, you should immediately administer CPR until help arrives.
  
  

Drowning

• In the event of drowning, a person often goes several minutes without oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. Once a person has been rescued from drowning, it is important to administer CPR immediately to get oxygen flowing again and increase the person's chances of survival. Though most drowning incidents can be prevented, accidents do happen, so it is best to be prepared.
  
  

Where to Learn

• The American Red Cross offers CPR training, as do most hospitals and aquatic centers. CPR training often costs nothing, as some organizations offer free training to ensure public health and safety in the event that CPR should ever be needed. Speak with your local health services department or Red Cross facility about training schedules.
  
  

Warning

• In the event of an emergency in which a person experiences cardiopulmonary arrest, contact 9-1-1 immediately. If you are alone with the victim, you must step away to call emergency services before administering any form of first aid. If there are others around, send someone else to call for help while you begin CPR on the victim until paramedics arrive at the scene.