Someone experiences cardiac arrest every 90 seconds in the United States, translating to about 360,000 cardiac arrests per year, says UW Medicine cardiologist Dr. Peter Kudenchuk.

“Nationwide, 1 in 10 survive a cardiac arrest" said Kudenchuk, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. But bystanders can greatly improve those odds by knowing and performing CPR. 

“You start CPR, you're going to triple or more the odds of that person surviving,” said Kudenchuk.

The video below contains Kudenchuk’s checklist for determining a cardiac arrest situation and responding with life-sustaining action.

In an accompanying blog item, Kudenchuk explains how chest compressions can help sustain someone's life.

Download broadcast-ready soundbites on cardiac-arrest response.