The invention of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is credited to multiple pioneers who contributed to its development over several decades rather than a single inventor. Key figures include:
- Dr. James Jude, who discovered that rhythmic chest compressions could help restart the heart in the late 1950s.
- Dr. Peter Safar and James Elam, who invented the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation technique and were instrumental in combining it with chest compressions to form modern CPR.
- William Kouwenhoven, who rediscovered external cardiac compression during research on defibrillation and is often called the founder of modern CPR for his work published in 1960.
Together, these efforts established the CPR technique combining chest compressions and rescue breathing that saves lives today. The American Heart Association formally endorsed CPR in 1963 following these developments.
