If we have learned anything in the past couple of years, life is extremely unpredictable, and the reality is that anything can happen in our daily lives. You might think you will never be in a situation where you need to administer CPR, but it’s possible. Let’s go over the importance of knowing CPR and when to use it.

Cardiac Arrest

You might be under the impression that you don’t need to know CPR because you will never be in a situation that requires you to administer it. However, you can’t rely on that notion. Cardiac arrest is the number-one killer globally, and can strike at any moment. More surprisingly, cardiac arrest occurs at the drop of a hat—as many as 18 percent of cases happen in public, and 69 percent happen in homes.

Every Moment Matters

When someone experiences cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping oxygenated blood to the body. Interrupted blood flow to the brain and organs can cause damage in minutes. If someone suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest does not receive immediate lifesaving care, their mortality rate jumps ten percent each minute they do not receive aid. If you want to get a CPR heartsaver certification, then CPR123 will help you be a reliable bystander in case of an emergency.

Odds of Survival

Unfortunately, emergency authorities can’t arrive immediately if someone near you suffers from cardiac arrest. First responders can take up to ten minutes to arrive at the scene. Every moment counts during cardiac arrest; this is where the importance of knowing CPR and when to use it comes in. Receiving CPR from a bystander increases the chances of survival four-fold. By providing the victim care before medical authorities arrive, their odds of survival rise.

Life is so unpredictable, and anything can happen at a moment’s notice. Ideally, you hope to never find yourself in a situation requiring you to administer CPR, but if you do, you will likely want to help. When someone is in a health crisis, all it takes is one bystander with knowledge of CPR to step in and save a life.