Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Emergencies and the Deteriorating Patient

CPR

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˌsiː piː ˈɑːr/abbreviationCore term

In nursing, CPR means: Short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: chest compressions, often with rescue breaths, given to someone whose heart has stopped, to keep blood and oxygen moving.

In Turkish: KPR, kardiyopulmoner resüsitasyon, canlandırma

How it is used

Nurses are trained in basic life support (BLS), and many in advanced life support (ALS or ACLS). You 'start', 'perform' or 'do' CPR, and it is stopped when the team leader decides. 'Resus' is a common short form for resuscitation and for the resuscitation room.

Example sentences

  1. He was unresponsive and not breathing, so we started CPR and called the arrest team.

  2. All ward staff have to update their CPR training every year.

Common collocations

  • start CPR
  • perform CPR
  • CPR training
  • effective CPR
  • stop CPR
  • code blueA hospital emergency call meaning that a patient's heart or breathing has stopped and the resuscitation team must come at once.
  • unresponsiveNot reacting to voice, touch or pain, so that the person seems unconscious; a sign that urgent help is needed.
  • DNRShort for 'do not resuscitate': a medical decision, recorded in the notes, that CPR will not be attempted if the patient's heart or breathing stops.
  • deteriorateTo become worse, especially when a patient's condition or vital signs change in a way that shows they are becoming more unwell.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Emergencies and the Deteriorating Patient

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.