The letters in CPR stand for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a combination of rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) and chest compressions. If a patient isn't breathing or circulating blood adequately, CPR can restore circulation of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. (www.kidshealth.com)

CPR may be necessary for children during many different emergencies, including accidents, near-drowning, suffocation, poisoning, smoke inhalation, electrocution injuries, and suspected sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). (www.kidshealth.com)

Whenever CPR is needed, remember to call for emergency medical assistance. Current CPR courses teach you that if you are alone with an unresponsive infant or child, give chest compressions for 5 cycles (about 2 minutes) before calling for help. (www.kidshealth.com)

The heart and lungs work together to circulate oxygen throughout your body. If your brain is deprived of oxygen more than four minutes, there's a good chance you'll suffer brain damage. After 10 minutes, your chances of surviving drop to one in 100. (National Safety Council CPR Fact Sheet: www.nsc.org)

About 75 percent to 80 percent of all sudden cardiac arrests happen at home, so being trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one. (AHA Friends and Family CPR Statistics: www.americanheart.org)

Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double a victim’s chance of survival. (AHA Friends and Family CPR Statistics: www.americanheart.org)

CPR helps maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain and increases the amount of time that an electric shock from a defibrillator can be effective. (AHA Friends and Family CPR Statistics: www.americanheart.org)

Brain death starts to occur four to six minutes after someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest if no CPR or defibrillation occurs during that time. (AHA Friends and Family CPR Statistics: www.americanheart.org)

If bystander CPR is not provided, a sudden cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival fall 7 percent to 10 percent for every minute of delay until defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation are successful if CPR and defibrillation are not provided within minutes of collapse. (AHA Friends and Family CPR Statistics: www.americanheart.com)