BATON ROUGE — If you don't know how to do CPR, now is a good time to learn.

According to the Red Cross, immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival after a cardiac arrest.

"The big thing with having a sudden cardiac arrest is it can come from drowning or just the electrical system of the heart not working. And the faster you can get the blood flowing in the body to the vital organs, the better outcome you're going to have,” Steven Brooks, an emergency medicine physician, said.

Doctors say CPR should be performed in situations where a person isn't breathing or doesn't have a pulse.

Before you get started, make sure to call 911. Chest compressions should then be done 100 to 120 times a minute. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is no longer recommended.

AEDs can also be helpful in an emergency. These devices are often available in public places. They work by analyzing the person's heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivering an electrical shock.

"The instructions are right inside. Once you open up the AED, it shows you exactly where to place the pads and hit the button that says analyze. It will direct you to do everything, but that is one of the best ways to help revive somebody that has sudden cardiac arrest outside of doing just your basic CPR. It's the next step in the chain of survival,” Brooks said.

Experts also recommend learning how to do the Heimlich maneuver in the event someone is choking. If their airway remains blocked for too long, they could ultimately need CPR.