Hands-only CPR¶
Emergency numbers differ by country. This page uses 911, the number for the United States and Canada. Many other countries use 112, 999, or another number. Find the number for your country.
CPR keeps blood moving to the brain and heart when someone's heart has stopped. This page shows you hands-only CPR for an adult, which the American Heart Association and the Red Cross both recommend for untrained bystanders.
Do this now¶
- Tap the person and shout. If they do not respond, and are not breathing or are only gasping, treat it as cardiac arrest.
- Call your local emergency number, or tell someone else to (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom). Put the phone on speaker.
- Ask someone to bring an AED, an automated external defibrillator, if there is one nearby.
- Put the heel of one hand on the center of the chest, and the other hand on top.
- Push hard and fast, 100 to 120 times a minute, until help or an AED arrives.
How to do hands-only CPR¶
Lay the person on their back on a firm surface, such as the floor. Kneel beside them. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone, and lock your other hand on top. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders directly over your hands.
Push down about 5 centimeters (2 inches), which is roughly a third of the chest depth. Do not push much deeper than 6 centimeters (2.4 inches). Let the chest come back up fully after every push. Do not lean on it between pushes.
The pace is 100 to 120 pushes a minute. A steady beat helps, and many people use a familiar song with that tempo. Do not stop to check for a pulse. Pushing hard is more important than pushing perfectly, and ribs may crack. That is common and it should not stop you.
If you get tired, swap with another person about every two minutes, and keep the pause as short as you can.
Use an AED as soon as you can¶
An AED is a portable device that can restart a heart that is in a dangerous rhythm. It is safe for anyone to use. It speaks step by step instructions.
- Turn it on and follow the voice prompts.
- Bare the chest, dry it if wet, and stick the pads on as shown in the pictures.
- Let the AED analyze. Make sure nobody is touching the person.
- If it says to give a shock, press the button after everyone stands clear.
- Start pushing again right away, and keep going until responders arrive or the person starts to move or breathe normally.
Leave the pads on. Many public places keep AEDs on a wall in a marked cabinet.
Do not stop early
Keep going until trained help takes over, an AED tells you otherwise, or the person clearly wakes up. If you can, stay and tell responders what you saw.
Children, babies and drowning¶
Hands-only CPR is designed for adults who collapse suddenly. Children, babies, and people who have drowned, been poisoned or choked usually have a breathing problem first, so they benefit from rescue breaths as well as chest pushes. Training teaches the correct breath ratio, hand position and depth for each age.
If you are not trained, or are unsure, do hands-only CPR rather than nothing. Pushing on the chest is far better than doing nothing. Use an AED on a child too. Many have pads or a setting made for children, and if not, adult pads can still be used.
For a baby under one year, press on the center of the chest with two fingers, two thumbs, or the heel of one hand, as infant CPR courses teach, instead of both hands. Call for help after about two minutes of CPR if you are alone.
What to do afterward¶
If the person starts breathing normally, keep them on their side and stay with them. Watch them until help arrives, because they can stop again.
Giving CPR can be upsetting. Talk to someone you trust afterward, and know that doing something gave the person their best chance.
Take a course
CPR is easiest to learn by practicing on a manikin. Courses from the Red Cross, the American Heart Association and similar groups teach adult, child and baby CPR, including rescue breaths.