Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 June 2012
From many recent publications and also from a pathophysiologic standpoint, it has become abundantly clear that probably the most important factor determining the outcome of any attempt at resuscitation is the period of time elapsed between the onset of the calamity and the initiation of “CPR.” In most of the reports on the effects of time-related variables the initiation of effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation is usually not clearly defined.
What exactly is meant by “initiation of CPR?” Since 1966 CPR has been instructed according to the “A-B-C-schedule.”