Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a set of specific medical procedures designed to establish circulation and breathing in a patient who’s suffered an arrest of both. CPR is a supportive therapy, designed to maintain perfusion to vital organs while attempts are made to restore spontaneous breathing and cardiac rhythm.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a set of specific medical procedures designed to establish circulation and breathing in a patient who’s suffered an arrest of both. CPR is a supportive therapy, designed to maintain perfusion to vital organs while attempts are made to restore spontaneous breathing and cardiac rhythm.

If your patient stops breathing or their heart stops beating in the hospital, the standard of care is to perform CPR in the absence of a valid physician’s order to withhold it. Similarly, paramedics responding to an arrest in the field are required to administer CPR in most legal jurisdictions. In some locations in the United States patients may have a valid “at home DNR order” that allows a responding paramedic to honor a physician’s order to withhold CPR. However, often a posted “at home DNR order” or a bracelet worn by a patient is not enough to prevent such intervention. What is more useful is for the patient to make certain that caregivers at home are well aware of his or her desires concerning such interventions to prevent the calling of emergency personnel.

Additional, usual information can be found by clicking here.