Word parts
What it means
The first-aid procedure for a person whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest). The rescuer pushes hard and fast on the center of the chest to pump blood to the brain and heart, and gives breaths when trained to. For adults, compressions are 100–120 a minute and at least 5 cm (2 inches) deep, letting the chest come all the way back up between pushes. An automated external defibrillatorAW-tuh-may-tid ek-STER-nul dee-FIB-ruh-lay-terA portable device that checks the heart rhythm through pads on the chest and gives an electric shock if one is needed.Full entry is used as soon as one arrives.
For the nurse
Check whether the client responds and is breathing normally, call for help and the AED, and start compressions. Check the client's code status: a client with a valid do-not-resuscitate order does not get CPR.
In a chart
"Client unresponsive, pulseless; code called, CPR started at 0312."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | CPR; BLS (basic life support); DNR (do not resuscitate) |
|---|---|
| Spanish | reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) |
| Also written | CPR |
Related terms
resuscitation
Emergency treatment to restore breathing, heartbeat or blood circulation.
ventricular fibrillation
A heart rhythm in which the lower chambers quiver in a fast, chaotic way instead of pumping.
automated external defibrillator
A portable device that checks the heart rhythm through pads on the chest and gives an electric shock if one is needed.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.