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Learning how to do CPR is crucial because cardiac arrest strikes without warning. Every minute without CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) reduces the chance of survival by 10%. In Australia, over 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrest outside hospitals each year. You can double or triple their survival chances by providing immediate CPR before the ambulance arrives.
CPR involves chest compressions and rescue breaths that keep blood circulating to vital organs when the heart stops. This comprehensive guide teaches you how to do CPR effectively and the essential CPR steps to perform during an emergency. Remember, this information supplements formal CPR instruction but does not replace hands-on instruction with qualified first aid professionals who can demonstrate how to do CPR properly.
Understanding how to do CPR begins with recognising when CPR is required. CPR is needed when someone suffers cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating effectively, preventing blood circulation to vital organs. You must start CPR straight away in these situations:
The person is unresponsive and not breathing normally. They will not respond to loud shouting, shoulder tapping, or physical stimulation. You cannot detect regular breath sounds, or they show occasional gasps and irregular breath patterns.
Signs that indicate you need to perform CPR:
Do NOT perform CPR when:
CPR can save a life when cardiac arrest occurs. Without CPR, brain damage begins within 4-6 minutes. Your immediate action provides the best chance of survival until emergency medical help arrives.
Mastering how to do CPR on adults requires following specific steps in sequence. Once you have determined CPR is needed and called for help, follow these steps to perform CPR:
Step 1: Position the Person Position the person on their back on a firm, flat surface. Kneel beside their chest and tilt their head back slightly by lifting their chin. This helps open the airway.
Step 2: Hand Placement Place the heel of your hand on the centre of their chest, between the nipples. Position your second hand on top of your first hand, interlacing your fingers. Keep your arms straight and shoulders directly over your hands.
Step 3: Begin Chest Compressions Push hard and fast at least 5 centimetres deep into the chest. Allow complete chest recoil between compressions without lifting your hands from the chest. Aim for 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
Count aloud: “1, 2, 3…” up to 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. Compressions are the most important part of CPR. High quality CPR requires consistent depth, rate, and complete chest recoil.
For hands-only CPR, continue chest compressions without rescue breaths. This simplified approach to how to do CPR works effectively when you lack instruction in rescue breaths or feel uncomfortable providing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Use songs with 100 to 120 beats per minute to maintain proper compression rate. Popular choices include “Stayin’ Alive” or “Another One Bites the Dust.”
After 30 chest compressions, tilt their head back and lift their chin to open the airway. Pinch their nostrils closed and create a seal over their mouth with your lips. Give 2 rescue breaths, each lasting 1 second. Watch for chest rise with each breath.
If the chest does not rise, reposition their head and try again. Poor head position often prevents effective rescue breaths. Continue with 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths until emergency help arrives.
Continue CPR until emergency medical services arrive and take over, an AED becomes available, the person begins breathing normally, or you become too exhausted to continue safely. Do not stop CPR because you think it’s not working. Brain damage occurs after 4-6 minutes without oxygen, but people have survived after much longer periods of CPR. Persistence saves lives, so maintain compressions until professional help arrives.
Learning how to do CPR on children requires modified techniques from adult CPR. Child CPR differs from adult techniques. For children aged 1 to 8 years, use one or two hands depending on the child’s size. Place the child on their back and position your hand(s) on the centre of their chest.
Compress at least one-third the depth of the chest, approximately 5 centimetres. Use 100 to 120 compressions per minute, the same rate as adult CPR. When the child is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR immediately.
Perform 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. Tilt their head back gently and lift their chin to open the airway. Seal your mouth over their mouth and nose, or just their mouth for larger children.
CPR for children under 12 months requires different techniques. Place the infant on their back on a firm surface. Use two fingers positioned just below the nipple line in the centre of the chest.
Compress at least one-third the depth of the chest, about 4 centimetres. Maintain 100 to 120 compressions per minute. After 30 compressions, tilt their head back slightly and lift their chin.
Cover their mouth and nose with your mouth to create a seal. Give gentle puffs of air rather than full breaths. Watch for chest rise with each rescue breath.
Perform CPR on pregnant women using standard adult techniques. Do not hesitate to provide compressions due to pregnancy concerns. Effective CPR can save both mother and baby by maintaining blood circulation and oxygen delivery.
Understanding how to do CPR alongside AED use maximises survival chances during cardiac arrest. An AED analyses heart rhythms and delivers electric shocks when appropriate. These devices are available in many public locations including shopping centres, sports facilities, and office buildings.
Turn on the AED and follow the voice prompts. Remove clothing from the chest and apply pads as shown in the diagrams. One pad goes on the upper right chest, the other on the lower left side.
Ensure nobody touches the person when the AED analyses the heart rhythm or delivers a shock. The device will instruct you when it’s safe to resume chest compressions.
Continue CPR immediately after the AED delivers a shock or indicates no shock is needed. The combination of CPR and AED use provides the best chance of survival during cardiac arrest.
Avoiding common errors when learning how to do CPR ensures maximum effectiveness. Do not fear breaking ribs during chest compressions. Proper depth requires significant force, and rib injuries heal while the brain cannot recover from lack of oxygen. Inadequate compression depth fails to circulate blood effectively.
Never stop chest compressions unnecessarily. Brief pauses for rescue breaths are acceptable, but extended interruptions reduce the effectiveness of CPR. If you become tired, ask someone else to take over compressions while maintaining continuous care.
Do not perform CPR on conscious, breathing individuals. CPR is only appropriate for people who are unresponsive and not breathing normally. Chest compressions on a functioning heart can cause serious injury.
Avoid excessive head tilts that hyperextend the neck. Gentle backward tilts with chin lifts open the airway adequately for most people.
While reading about how to do CPR provides valuable knowledge, hands-on CPR instruction provides essential skills that reading cannot replace. Professional instructors teach proper hand position, compression depth, and rescue breath techniques using practice manikins.
Practice sessions help you develop muscle memory for the CPR process and build confidence to act during real emergencies. Regular refresher courses maintain your skills and update you on current guidelines for CPR.
First aid courses include CPR instruction alongside other emergency skills like wound care and choking care. Comprehensive courses prepare you to handle various emergency situations effectively.
Consider scheduling annual course updates to stay current with updated techniques and maintain your certification. The investment in CPR courses can help save a life when seconds matter most.
When learning how to do CPR, consider these complementary skills. Beyond CPR, essential first aid skills include choking response techniques, wound care and bandage application, burn treatment, and recovery position placement for unconscious but breathing victims. Learn how to recognise stroke and heart attack symptoms, manage allergic reactions, and control severe bleeding.
If vomiting occurs during CPR, quickly turn the person’s head to one side and clear their mouth with your fingers or a cloth. Remove any visible debris and immediately return their head to the normal position to continue chest compressions.
CPR alone rarely restarts a heart in cardiac arrest. Understanding how to do CPR correctly means knowing its primary purpose is to circulate oxygenated blood to the brain and vital organs until advanced medical care arrives. An AED or medical defibrillation is typically required to restore a normal heart rhythm.