CPR's true survival rate is lower than many people think
In the 1970s, CPR classes were developed for the public, and CPR became the default treatment for cardiac arrest. The allure of CPR is that "Death, instead of a final and irrevocable passage, becomes a process manipulable by humans," writes Stefan Timmermans, a sociologist who has studied CPR. Related Story: Why writing a will and planning for your death is a 'lifetime gift' to loved ones. In 2015, researchers found that survival after CPR on TV was 70%. In real life, people similarly believe that survival after CPR is over 75%. Those sound like good odds, and this may explain the attitude that everyone should know CPR, and that everyone who experiences cardiac arrest should receive it. It was 7.6%. Bystander-initiated CPR may increase those odds to 10%. Survival after CPR for in-hospital cardiac arrest is slightly better, but still only about 17%. The numbers get even worse with age. One study found that less than 2% of patients with cancer or heart, lung, or liver disease were resuscitated with CPR and survived for six months. Two studies found that only 20-40% of older patients who survive CPR were able to function independently; others found somewhat better rates of recovery. Instead, if CPR would likely be futile, doctors could recommend "Allow natural death" instead of "Do not resuscitate," suggests Ellen Goodman, director of a non-profit that encourages end-of-life conversations.