Hands-only CPR: Save a Life

How To:

1. Call 911
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest, without interrupting
3. Push deeply, about 100 times per minute. That’s faster than three times every two seconds
4. Do NOT be afraid, your actions can only help
5. Look around and invite your friends or other onlookers to help
6. Continue until trained Emergency Personnel arrive

After 50 years, CPR is getting an extreme makeover. Out with quick breaths in the victim’s mouth and in with two-handed chest compressions to get the heart beating. Particularly in a public area such as an office, park or train station, chest compressions alone can be just as effective in resuscitating victims of cardiac arrest. See HandsOnlyCPR.org for more details.

This hands-only technique can be a life-saving option for people not trained in traditional CPR or are squeamish about mouth-to-mouth breathing. With these simple instructions, hopefully more people are willing to give CPR, act more quickly and not fear doing something wrong. You can only help.

When an adult suddenly collapses with cardiac arrest, their lungs and blood contain enough oxygen to keep vital organs healthy for the first few minutes, as long as someone provides deep chest compressions, with minimal interruptions, to pump blood to the heart muscles and brain.

Conventional CPR is still an important skill to learn. When children collapse, it is likely from breathing problems and not for cardiac arrest. Thus in children, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation should be used. Medical personnel and parents of young children are encouraged to learn and routinely refresh their CPR skills.

cross-posted from my article on Aches & Joints