Abstract
Early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPRI) following cardiac arrest greatly enhances chances of survival. Bystander action is regarded as the most effective means of assuring early CPR. After initial success, wide-scale training of citizens to perform CPR has not been accompanied by the anticipated further increases in bystander-initiated CPR. The circumstances in which CPR is presently being performed are analyzed and the possibilities for identifying and training citizens with a high probability of having occasion to perform CPR are discussed.