Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Treatments and Procedures

CPR

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌsiː piː ˈɑːr/abbreviationCore term

In medicine, CPR means: Short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: chest compressions, usually with rescue breaths, given to keep blood flowing when someone's heart has stopped.

In Turkish: KPR, kardiyopulmoner resüsitasyon, kalp masajı

How it is used

People start, perform, give or do CPR. In hospital the wider word resuscitation is also used, and decisions about it are recorded as 'for CPR' or 'not for CPR' (DNACPR). Basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) courses teach it.

Example sentences

  1. A bystander started CPR before the ambulance arrived.

  2. After discussion with the family, the team decided that CPR would not be in her best interests.

Common collocations

  • start CPR
  • perform CPR
  • bystander CPR
  • DNACPR decision
  • chest compressions
  • cardiac arrestA sudden stop in the heart's pumping, so that blood no longer reaches the brain and other organs; without immediate CPR it causes death within minutes.
  • intensive care unitA hospital unit with special equipment and highly trained staff for critically ill patients who need close monitoring or organ support, such as a ventilator.
  • capacityA patient's ability to understand, remember and weigh up information about a decision and to communicate their choice.
  • next of kinThe person a patient names as their closest relative or contact, whom the hospital will call in an emergency.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Treatments and Procedures

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.