Why do you perform CPR?

The traditional answer is that (a) good CPR helps keep the heart and brain alive until the person can be brought back, (b) good CPR delays the transition of the heart rhythm from a shockable rhythm to a non-shockable one so the person can be brought back with a defibrillator (28% survival) instead of drugs (4% survival).

I would like to suggest that a more accurate answer is "Because nobody near the victim at the time of the arrest has an AED - an Automated External Defibrillator.

The simple fact is that, if you had an AED in the home, your best bet by far would be to use it.

Think about it - most people are doing CPR to maximize the outcome for the victim when the ambulance crew gets there and uses their defibrillator!

SLICC periodically runs a group purchase of a really good AED. Check it out.

If your answer to the question in the previous post was anywhere near zero, you were pretty close.

The reason is that for most people, you need to weigh more than the victim to get two-inch compression. This means that - with a few exceptions - for both people in that home to be able to compress the other's chest two inches, they both need to be heavier than the other.

Bob