Hands On CPR
Why Learn Hands-Only CPR?
Cardiac arrest - an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia} and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs- is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 EMS assessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States.
When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.
According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival.
Be the Difference for Someone You Love
- If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
- About 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes
- About 46 percent of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrive
- Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public.
- Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps, performed in this order:
1. Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute
Music Can Save Lives
Song examples include "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira" or "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song.
When performing CPR, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, which corresponds to the beat of the song examples above.
Take 90 Seconds to Learn How to Save a Life
Visit heart.org/handsonlycpr to watch the Hands-Only CPR instructional video and share it with the important people in your life. Hands-Only CPR is a natural introduction to CPR, and the AHA encourages everyone to learn conventional CPR as a next step. You can find a CPR class near you at heart.org/findacourse.
NOTE: The AHA still recommends CPR with compressions and breaths for infants and children and victims of drowning, drug overdose, or people who collapse due to breathing problems.