When an individual suffers an out-of-hospital heart attack, his survival depends greatly on receiving immediate CPR from a bystander. However, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), less than one-third of these individuals receive the help they need, because most bystanders are untrained in CPR and are afraid they will do something wrong. CPR is a life-saving technique that helps maintain some blood flow to the brain and heart, and can help “buy time” until paramedics arrive with more advanced care. The American College of Cardiology provides a useful CPR training video showing how to perform the basics of CPR and instructions for administering compressions for trained and untrained people.
