Cardiac arrest is a common cause of death, and that alone is more than enough to take a deeper look into CPR.
In 2015 alone, 357,000 people experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. It is the biggest indicator that CPR is an important life skill to learn, as it can potentially increase a person’s chance for survival – not only in Irving but in every city and town worldwide.
Many of you have probably only heard about CPR and seen it being performed in the movies. But CPR isn’t just for Hollywood heroes and heroines. In fact, knowing how to perform it can mean the difference between life and death for someone experiencing cardiac arrest.
To better understand this, we’ll take a closer look into the importance of CPR and the survival rate for individuals who receive CPR.
The Importance of CPR
Cardiac arrest doesn’t choose where and who it happens to. It can happen to anyone at any age, as well as everywhere in every setting. The thought of finding yourself in such a situation is disturbing, and that’s why these things shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Luckily, life-saving techniques like CPR are here to provide hope. While it may seem like it’s easy, there are certain protocols and steps to follow. Fortunately, it can all be learned through CPR Irving certification in collaboration with the American Heart Association.
In medical emergencies, the patient and the bystander tend to experience high stress and anxiety levels. As a potential bystander, the CPR Irving certification will also teach you how to stay calm and not be overwhelmed with panic to increase the chances of a successful outcome.
Additionally, you’ll learn to show emotional support to the person experiencing a cardiac arrest. This is important because it can reduce their anxiety, leading to increased chances of survival.
Besides cardiac arrest, CPR can be helpful in other emergency situations, such as drowning, drug overdose, or suffocation. In unfortunate moments like these, the lack of oxygen to the brain can cause irreparable damage, which is why immediate CPR is crucial.
Factors Affecting Survival Rate
When we take a look back, we can see that CPR has helped many to save countless lives in emergencies. In fact, it can double, or even triple, the chances of survival in a person experiencing a cardiac arrest. However, some other factors can impact the survival rate of CPR, including:
- Age – As we grow old, the possibility of CPR turning out successful is significantly decreasing. The reasons behind these are health conditions that are more likely to happen in people of age.
- Availability of Medical Equipment – One study shows that there were more survivors in those units assigned to volunteers that were trained in CPR and used AEDs (30 survivors among 128 cardiac arrests), rather than in those units assigned to volunteers only trained in CPR (15 among 107).
- Response Time – The faster CPR is performed, the better the chances of survival. Remember, if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation, call for medical help and start performing chest compressions immediately.
- Location of Cardiac Arrest – The place where cardiac arrest happens actually plays a huge role. If it happens in a public location with trained personnel and an AED available, the survival rate tends to be higher.
The majority of cardiac arrests happen in homes and residences, accounting for 73.4%. Public locations such as parks and streets account for 16.3% of cases, while nursing homes account for 10.3%.
Statistics on CPR Survival Rates
Now that you understand what CPR is and its importance in saving someone’s life, whether that’s a loved one or a complete stranger, let’s look at some of the statistics on CPR survival rates.
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a medical emergency that requires immediate action. This means that the patient’s heart stops beating outside of a hospital setting where medical help might not be immediately available.
The American Heart Association says that the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are only about 10%. This means that for every ten people who experience an OHCA, only one is likely to survive.
So, what is the survival rate for individuals who receive CPR outside of hospital settings?
Sadly, less than half of the people with a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting receive the necessary help before medical help arrives. Delaying CPR after cardiac arrest can result in poor outcomes, with survival rates decreasing by 7-10% for every minute.
According to the American Heart Association, with around 350.000 OHCA happening every year, the hospital discharge to survival was 9.1% of patients who were treated by emergency medical services, including CPR.
This indicates the importance of immediate action by bystanders who perform CPR. Research shows that individuals who receive CPR from a bystander have better survival chances than those who don’t.
In fact, the study found that in cases when bystander CPR was performed, 22.9% of the victims survived until they were admitted to the hospital, and 11.9% were discharged from the hospital after treatment. This shows a lot of improvement compared to cases when patients didn’t receive bystander CPR, with only 14.6% of the victims surviving and 4.7% being discharged after treatment.
In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Even though the percentage of cardiac arrest cases happening in a hospital setting is significantly lower than those happening out of a hospital setting, it’s still a public health concern and, as such, should be addressed timely and effectively.
OHCA is unpredictable and can happen anywhere. However, with IHCA, healthcare providers are at an advantage in identifying potential risks and providing proper treatment with emergency medical services.
With 209.000 people being treated for cardiac arrest in a hospital setting every year, it’s safe to say that in-hospital cardiac arrests require our attention. Despite the advantages of it happening in a hospital, the survival rates are still low – approximately 18-30%.
According to one study, around three-quarters of IHCA patients have received ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) during CPR, while 63.2% initially survived. However, only 21.6% of patients were discharged from the hospital with good neurological function.
The average age of patients who experience cardiac arrest in a hospital setting is around 66 years old – with 58% being men. These cardiac arrests are often associated with a non-shockable presenting rhythm, while the most common cause of these cases is related to the heart itself. This means that an underlying condition associated with the heart is causing cardiac arrest, such as heart attack and arrhythmia.
CPR Survival Rate in Infants and Children
I suppose it doesn’t even come as a surprise that the CPR survival rate in infants and children is much higher than in adults. According to a study by the American Heart Association, 8.2% of children who were a victim of cardiac arrest survived hospital discharge.
Additionally, teenagers were more likely to survive compared to infants. However, no differences in survival rate in terms of sex and race were noted.
Key Takeaway
Considering everything, it’d be pretentious of us to say that CPR is just another technique. People fall victim to cardiac arrest every day, and we have to take matters into our own hands to finally make a difference.
It doesn’t matter that the CPR survival rate for children and infants is higher than that of adults, CPR is still a technique that should be learned by everyone and performed on every patient regardless of their age.
You can take the CPR Irving certification that will give you access to the best CPR programs from the American Heart Association. By doing so, you’re acknowledging the importance of CPR and are one step closer to saving a human life. Remember, it’s not a skill only meant for healthcare providers but one that every individual can learn and use to save someone’s life in an emergency.