‘ High quality CPR must to improve survival rate’

To help more patients survive cardiac arrest, traditional CPR training needs an overhaul with more chances for practice — and instructions on social and digital platforms might help lessons stick, some doctors argue. People learn CPR as part of a National Day of Service event on the National Mall in Washington D. C. January 19, 2013. Few Americans are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, and many people who do learn how to do this don't practice or take refresher courses over the years to keep their skills fresh. Improving CPR training might help people retain these lessons longer and increase the long odds that cardiac arrest patients survive long enough to leave a hospital. “The delivery of high quality CPR is one of the most critical components to improve survival from cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Adam Cheng, lead author of new CPR training recommendations from the American Heart Association ( AHA). Cardiac arrest involves the abrupt loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. Unlike a heart attack, which happens when blood flow to a portion of the heart is blocked, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions, disrupting the heart's rhythm or halting it altogether. Cardiac arrest may occur with no warning and is often fatal. Chest compressions or CPR can help restore circulation, increasing the odds of survival. “We need to do a better job of communicating the importance of high quality CPR, and working with policy makers to ensure CPR training becomes a mandatory part of school curriculum,” Cheng, of the University of Calgary in Canada, said by email.