When should CPR be administered?

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.

As a patient, you need to know that should you stop breathing or if your 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 usually required to administer CPR.