As an expert in the field of emergency medicine, I can tell you that the brain is particularly vulnerable to oxygen deprivation, which occurs when the heart stops beating. The brain can typically survive for about six minutes without oxygen before irreversible damage begins to occur. This is why CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is so crucial. When CPR is initiated within six minutes of cardiac arrest, it can help maintain some blood flow to the brain and other vital organs, potentially preventing brain damage. However, if CPR is not performed within this critical time frame, the brain cells start to die, leading to permanent brain damage or death. read more >>

The brain can survive for up to about six minutes after the heart stops. The reason to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is that if CPR is started within six minutes of cardiac arrest, the brain may survive the lack of oxygen. After about six minutes without CPR, however, the brain begins to die.read more >>