For more than 20 years, our company has had the pleasure of working closely with medical authorities and active first aid organizations in many countries for the teaching and practice of life-support. The access thus gained by experience in the field permits me to present the following status report of CPR teaching of the populations in North America and Western Europe.

History

Before 1960, little or no life-supporting treatment was given to the seriously injured or acutely ill prior to arrival at the hospital. First aid was largely limited to dressing wounds and splinting broken limbs. The ambulance at that time merely served as a means of fast transportation.