Archived Publications High-Quality CPR: Breathing New Life into Your Tra | Page 11

HeartCode
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BEST PRACTICES
THE DAUNTING TRUTH ABOUT CURRENT RESUSCITATION EFFECTIVENESS
When the American Heart Association (AHA) released its 2013 Consensus Statement and boldly stated that, “Poor-quality
CPR should be considered a preventable harm,” it caught the attention of providers, hospitals, and patients alike. However, the
AHA’s report should come as no surprise to those who are familiar with the shockingly low survival rates of those who
experience cardiac arrest. Worldwide, the survival rates range from 2% to 11% and are less than 15% in the United States. In
U.S. hospital settings, survival rates improve some, ranging from 15% to 20% with variability linked to time of day and location
in the hospital (Meaney et al., 2013).
The AHA’s current goal is to increase in-hospital survival rates from cardiac arrest from 19% to 38% by 2020 (AHA, 2010). In
order to make this goal a reality, a major change must occur in CPR performance. Extensive evidence points to one factor that
could be changed and drastically effect outcomes—CPR training.
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