Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be a lifesaving technique when a person stops breathing or their heart stops beating. CPR may involve a combination of chest compression and mouth-to-mouth breathing to keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs. To learn CPR properly, take an accredited first-aid and CPR training course, generally available through the local chapter of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or your local hospital/clinic.
While training on traditional CPR is best, even people who have no training in CPR may be able to help in an emergency situation by hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Hands-only CPR technique eliminates the fear many people have of mouth-to-mouth contact with another individual.
The guidelines from the American Heart Association work out to a simple, two-step procedure:
- Dial 911 to call for emergency medical help
- Push hard and fast on the center of the chest and continue until medical professionals arrive
It is not dangerous to perform chest compressions even if the heart is still beating. You may break ribs, but the alternative is almost certainly death. Only stop compressions when either the person or the medical professionals tell you to stop or you are too tired to continue.
If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is nearby, have someone look for it and take it to the person. Do not delay or interrupt chest compressions in the meantime. Attach the AED to the person, switch it on and follow the machine’s voice instructions. If you are not trained to use an AED, a 911 operator may be able to guide you in its use. Instructions from AEDs are so simple that almost anyone can use them without prior training.
It's still best to have CPR done in the conventional way by trained medical professionals. The hands-only CPR recommendations apply only to adult cardiac arrest victims outside a hospital setting. Hands-only CPR should not be used on infants or children or adults whose cardiac arrest is from respiratory causes. Conventional CPR with mouth-to-mouth breathing remains the appropriate technique for persons who are in respiratory arrest.
For more information, visit the American Heart Association.
