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5.14

Hands-only CPR

If a teen or adult collapses and is not breathing normally, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help takes over.

Hands-only CPR. Kneel beside the person with your arms straight and your shoulders over your hands. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep, 100 to 120 times a minute, and let the chest come back up after each push.
Fig. 5.14 Kneel beside the person with your arms straight and your shoulders over your hands. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep, 100 to 120 times a minute, and let the chest come back up after each push. Source: American Heart Association, 2025 guidelines.
Area: SafetyFrom age 14Time to learn: A few minutes to learn the steps; a short certified class to practice on a manikinPractise in a class

You will give chest compressions at the right speed and depth to keep blood moving until an AED or paramedics arrive.

SafetyThis lesson does not replace training. Take a certified CPR class from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Red Cross, or St. John Ambulance. Hands-only CPR is for teens and adults; babies and young children need CPR with breaths, which a class teaches.

Why it matters

More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside hospitals in the US each year, and about 90% of those people do not survive (American Heart Association). Survival often depends on how quickly people nearby call 911, start CPR, and use an AED. You do not need medical training to start.

How to do it

  1. Check the scene is safe. Tap the person's shoulder and shout, 'Are you OK?' Look for normal breathing. Gasping is not normal breathing.
  2. If they do not respond and are not breathing normally, call 911 or point at someone and tell them to call. Put the phone on speaker. Send someone to get an AED.
  3. Make sure the person is on their back on a firm, flat surface. Kneel beside them with your knees about shoulder-width apart.
  4. Put the heel of one hand in the center of the chest. Put your other hand on top.
  5. Position your shoulders straight over your hands and lock your elbows.
  6. Push straight down at least 2 inches (5 cm), at 100 to 120 pushes a minute. That is about two pushes per second, the beat of the song 'Stayin' Alive'.
  7. Let the chest come all the way back up after each push.
  8. Keep going without stopping until an AED is ready, trained help takes over, or the person starts breathing normally. If someone else can help, switch about every two minutes.
  9. When the AED arrives, turn it on and follow its voice prompts. Keep pushing until it tells you to stand clear.

Common mistakes

  • Pushing too gently or too slowly.
  • Stopping often to check for breathing.
  • Waiting for someone else to start.
  • Placing hands too low on the belly or off to one side.
You can do this when …you can keep 100 to 120 compressions a minute, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep, for two minutes on a training manikin, with an instructor or feedback device confirming it.
Reading is not training. Practise on a manikin or in a supervised class with the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, or in Canada with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, St John Ambulance or the Canadian Red Cross.

Sources

  1. American Heart Association - World Restart a Heart Day release (Hands-Only CPR)
  2. American Red Cross - Hands-only CPR
  3. Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada - Learn CPR

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Topics: CPR, the AED and choking, Caring for a newborn

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All lessons

← 5.13 previous lesson: Spot a stroke and call 911 · 5.15 → next lesson: Help a choking adult
1Body16 lessons
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  8. 1.8How often should you wash your hair
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  12. 1.12How to stretch your hip flexors
  13. 1.13How to swaddle a newborn, and when to stop
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  15. 1.15Booking a doctor's appointment and describing symptoms
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2Mind15 lessons
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