‘Every second counts’: Study highlights importance of immediate CPR

Starting CPR within two minutes of cardiac arrest – when the heart suddenly stops beating – can dramatically increase the odds of survival, results of a recent study show.

Examining more than 200,000 cases of cardiac arrest that occurred outside of a medical setting between 2013 and 2022, researchers found that people who received bystander CPR within two minutes had an 81% better chance of surviving than those who didn’t. The former group also had a 95% better chance of surviving without “significant brain damage.”

Conversely, people who didn’t receive bystander CPR had a 12% chance of survival, and around 9% survived without “significant brain damage or major disabilities.”

“Our findings reinforce that every second counts when starting bystander CPR, and even a few minutes delay can make a big difference,” said lead study author Evan O’Keefe, a cardiovascular fellow at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “If you see someone in need of CPR, don’t dwell on how long they’ve been down – your quick actions could save their life.”