Section III. CHEST COMPRESSIONS
1-10. INTRODUCTION
If the casualty's heart stops beating, the blood stops circulating. When blood
stops circulating, cells cannot get oxygen, and they begin to die. The casualty's heart,
however, may still be beating even though he has stopped breathing on his own. If his
heart stops beating, he will stop breathing also. Just as the rescuer can perform rescue
breathing as a substitute for the casualty's normal heartbeat, the rescuer can perform
chest compressions to substitute for the casualty's normal heartbeat. In neither case,
however, is the substitute measure as efficient as the body's natural process.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the combination of rescue breathing and chest
compressions.
1-11. EFFECTS OF CHEST COMPRESSIONS