Chain of Survival

CPR is one link in what the American Heart Association calls the Chain of Survival. The Chain of Survival is a series of actions that, when performed together, give the cardiac arrest victim the greatest chance of survival. The Chain of Survival includes the following steps:

• Early access: When an emergency is recognized, the first link in the Chain of Survival is early access. This means activating the emergency medical services, or EMS, system by calling 911. (911 does not work in every community. Be sure to check your local directory, and know the correct emergency telephone number in your community.)
  
  
• CPR: The second link in the Chain of Survival is to perform CPR until a defibrillator becomes available. It is now recognized that early CPR is essential to resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
  
  
• Early defibrillation: The third and most critical link in the Chain of Survival for a victim of ventricular fibrillation is early defibrillation.
  
  
• Early advanced life support: The last link in the Chain of Survival is early advanced life support. This is provided by experienced medical personnel such as paramedics, nurses, and doctors. Advanced life support includes giving medications and using advanced oxygen delivery techniques to resuscitate a person.