Should Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Be a Requirement?

Around the 1960s, doctors and nurses started using a life-saving procedure, called Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, also known as CPR. Some individuals refuse to give CPR because there are life threatening diseases that can be contracted through the process of saving a person’s life. Although this can be true, people can prevent deadly diseases by getting vaccinations and/or using a CPR First Aid kit. When it comes to the topic of CPR, most of us will readily agree that this life-saving procedure should be mandatory for all human beings. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of why should CPR be a requirement? Whereas some are convinced that CPR should not be a requirement for all human beings, others maintain that once everyone knows CPR you have a better chance recovering from cardiac arrest.

CPR is “a procedure to restore normal breathing after cardiac arrest that includes the clearance of the air passages to the lungs, mouth-to-mouth methods of artificial respiration, and heart massage by the exertion of pressure on the chest” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, 111). The American Heart Association explained on their website, “Nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually, and 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home” (American Heart Association, 1). Nearly 90 percent of people have a cardiac arrest at home, however, it can preventable by enforcing the public to get certificated in CPR. As I mentioned above, once there is an enforcement to get certificated in CPR, individuals will have a greater chance recovering from cardiac arrest and that person could be you. According to the American Heart Association, “African-Americans are almost twice as likely to experience c...

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...have a better chance recovering from cardiac arrest. Have you thought of getting certified for CPR? It can save a life!

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"B.E.CPR - Become Educated in CPR." B.E.CPR - Become Educated in CPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.

"Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation." Def. 1. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2007. 111. Print.

Cline, Kelli. "How Many Are Saved with CPR Yearly?" KelliClinecom RSS. N.p., 5 Apr. 2012. Web. 02 May 2014.

"CPR Statistics." CPR Statistics. American Heart Association, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

"How to Prevent Diseases." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

"7 Common Myths about CPR – Debunked." American Heart Association Authorized Provider of CPR, AED, & First Aid Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.