Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation | Hands Only CPR Steps

cardio-pulmonary resuscitation buys time by keeping blood moving until emergency care arrives through firm, steady chest compressions.

If someone collapses and won’t respond, your first moves can shape what happens next. Check that the area is safe. Tap the shoulder, speak loudly, and look for normal breathing.

If you see no normal breathing, call your local emergency number right away. If you’re alone and have a phone, put it on speaker. If others are near, point to one person and tell them to call, then point to another and tell them to find an AED.

Situation	What To Do First	Notes To Stay On Track
Adult suddenly collapses	Call emergency services and start hands-only CPR	Center of chest, 100–120 pushes per minute
Child collapse	Call, then start compressions with breaths if trained	Breaths can matter more for kids
Infant collapse	Call, then start gentle compressions and breaths if trained	Use two fingers on the breastbone
Person pulled from water	Call and start CPR with breaths if trained	Air is often the first need
Suspected drug overdose	Call, start compressions, follow dispatcher prompts	Naloxone can be used if available
AED arrives	Turn it on and follow voice prompts	Keep compressions going while pads are placed
Vomiting or blood in mouth	Turn head to the side and clear the airway fast	Restart compressions right away
Exhausted rescuer	Swap with another person every two minutes	Swap on a count so pauses stay short

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation For Adults Step By Step

cardio-pulmonary resuscitation is often called CPR. The goal is to keep blood and oxygen moving until advanced care takes over.

For most adult collapses, hands-only CPR is a solid starting point. The American Heart Association lists targets for rate and depth on its What Is CPR page.

Step 1 Confirm No Response And No Normal Breathing

Shake the shoulder gently and speak loud. Watch the chest for a few seconds. If you only see gasps or nothing at all, treat it as no normal breathing.

Step 2 Call And Get An AED Moving

Call emergency services. If you’re not alone, send someone to get the AED and return fast. If you are alone, keep the phone on speaker and start compressions while you talk.

Step 3 Set Your Hands And Body

Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest on the breastbone.
Put your other hand on top and lace your fingers.
Lock your elbows and stack your shoulders over your hands.
Keep your hands planted; let your body do the pushing.

Step 4 Push Hard And Fast

Aim for 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Push down at least 2 inches in an adult, then let the chest come all the way back up. Full recoil helps blood refill the heart between pushes.

Keep pauses short. Try not to stop for longer than ten seconds, even when you switch rescuers or place AED pads.

Step 5 Stay With It Until A Clear Change

The person wakes up and starts breathing normally.
A trained responder tells you to stop.
You are in danger and must move away.

Hands Only CPR For Most Adult Collapses

If you haven’t had training, hands-only CPR is still worth doing. You skip rescue breaths and keep a steady rhythm with compressions until help arrives.

Call emergency services and put the phone on speaker.
Kneel by the person’s chest on a firm surface.
Put both hands in the center of the chest.
Push straight down and let the chest rise fully after each push.
Keep the pace at 100 to 120 per minute until responders arrive or an AED takes over.

A clean swap helps. If a second rescuer is present, trade places about every two minutes on a count of three so the break stays short.

Rescue Breaths When You’re Trained

Rescue breaths can help when the collapse is tied to breathing trouble, like drowning, smoke exposure, or many child and infant arrests. If you’re trained and willing, use cycles of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.

Tilt the head back and lift the chin to open the airway.
Seal your mouth over theirs and give a breath that makes the chest rise.
Give a second breath, then go right back to compressions.

If you’re not trained, or you don’t have a barrier device, stick with hands-only compressions. Compressions done now beat perfect steps done later.

CPR For Children And Infants

Kids are not small adults. Breathing problems play a bigger part, so breaths can carry more weight if you know how to give them.

Child CPR Basics

Use one or two hands based on the child’s size.
Push about one third the depth of the chest.
Use 30:2 if you are alone; with two trained rescuers, some courses teach 15:2.

Infant CPR Basics

Use two fingers in the center of the chest just below the nipple line.
Push about one third the chest depth and let the chest rise fully.
If two trained rescuers are present, some courses teach the two-thumb technique.

If you’re alone with a child or infant and you did not see the collapse, many training programs teach giving about two minutes of CPR before leaving to call. Dispatcher instructions can guide timing in the moment.

Using An AED During CPR

An AED is built for laypeople. It will talk you through each step, check the rhythm, and tell you when a shock is advised. Start compressions, then use the AED as soon as it is on hand.

Turn the AED on and follow the voice prompts.
Bare and dry the chest; remove medication patches and wipe the area.
Place the pads as shown on the pictures.
Stand clear while the AED analyzes.
If it advises a shock, stand clear and press the shock button.
Go right back to compressions after the shock or if no shock is advised.

If the chest is wet, dry it quickly. If the person has thick chest hair and the pads will not stick, some AED kits include a razor. Pad pictures show safer placement and spacing.

Common Slip	Quick Fix	What It Changes
Hands drift off center	Reset on the breastbone center before the next set	Better force on the heart
Arms bend while pushing	Lock elbows and move shoulders over hands	Deeper, steadier compressions
Pace slows over time	Count out loud or swap every two minutes	Maintains flow
No recoil between pushes	Let the chest rise fully after each push	Heart refills with blood
Long pauses for breaths	Keep breaths to about one second each	More time on compressions
Stopping to check often	Check only when the AED prompts or responders arrive	Less down time
Fear of cracking ribs	Keep pushing; ribs can break even with good CPR	Stays focused on the goal
Forgetting to call	Call first or point to a bystander and name the job	Gets help rolling sooner

When To Pause Or Stop CPR

Once you start, plan to keep compressions going. Pause only when the AED tells you to stand clear for analysis, when you deliver a shock, or when you swap rescuers.

Stop CPR when the person starts breathing normally and responding, or when trained responders take over. If you are alone and your own safety is at risk, step away and call emergency services if you have not already.

Build Skill Before An Emergency

Reading is a start, but hands-on practice builds muscle memory. A class can show hand placement, pace, and how to use an AED with calm repetition. The American Red Cross lays out adult steps and targets on its CPR Steps page.

If the person is on a bed or couch, move them to the floor if you can do it fast with help. Soft surfaces soak up your force, so you end up pushing the mattress instead of the chest.

Agonal gasps can fool people. They can sound like snoring or odd gulping. If the person is unresponsive and you do not see normal breathing, start compressions and let the dispatcher guide the next steps.

If you’re worried about mouth-to-mouth, carry a CPR face shield on a lanyard clip. In a pinch, hands-only compressions are still a strong move for adult sudden collapse.

Swapping rescuers is not just about comfort. Fatigue drops depth and pace. Trade positions on a loud count and get your hands back on the chest right away.

After the person starts breathing normally, place them on their side if there is no sign of spine injury and you must step back. This position can reduce choking risk if vomiting occurs while you wait for responders.

If you take a class, practice on a manikin until your shoulders and arms know the motion. If you do not have a manikin, rehearse the sequence out loud: check, call, compress, AED.

You can cut delay with simple prep. Learn where the nearest AED sits, and make sure you can reach it fast. If you manage a space, place the AED where people gather, not behind locked doors.

Rhythm cue for compressions: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three four five six seven eight nine ten one two three