Editing Cardiac arrest (section)

===Chain of survival===
Several organizations promote the idea of a [[chain of survival]]. The chain consists of the following "links":
* Early recognition. If possible, recognition of illness before the person develops a cardiac arrest will allow the rescuer to prevent its occurrence. Early recognition that a cardiac arrest has occurred is key to survival, for every minute a patient stays in cardiac arrest, their chances of survival drop by roughly 10%.<ref name="Resuscitation Council"/>
* Early CPR improves the flow of blood and of oxygen to vital organs, an essential component of treating a cardiac arrest. In particular, by keeping the brain supplied with oxygenated blood, the chances of neurological damage are decreased.
* Early defibrillation is effective for the management of [[ventricular fibrillation]] and pulseless [[ventricular tachycardia]].<ref name="Resuscitation Council"/>
* Early advanced care.
* Early post-resuscitation care, which may include [[percutaneous coronary intervention]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Millin MG, Comer AC, Nable JV, Johnston PV, Lawner BJ, Woltman N, Levy MJ, Seaman KG, Hirshon JM | display-authors = 6 | title = Patients without ST elevation after return of spontaneous circulation may benefit from emergent percutaneous intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Resuscitation | volume = 108 | pages = 54–60 | date = November 2016 | pmid = 27640933 | doi = 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.09.004 }}</ref>

If one or more links in the chain are missing or delayed, then the chances of survival drop significantly.

These protocols are often initiated by a [[Code Blue (emergency code)|code blue]], which usually denotes impending or acute onset of cardiac arrest or [[respiratory failure]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Eroglu SE, Onur O, Urgan O, Denizbasi A, Akoglu H | title = Blue code: Is it a real emergency? | journal = World Journal of Emergency Medicine | volume = 5 | issue = 1 | pages = 20–23 | date = 2014 | pmid = 25215142 | pmc = 4129865 | doi = 10.5847/wjem.j.issn.1920-8642.2014.01.003 }}</ref>