How to Give CPR
Here are the proper steps to take in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends giving adults hands-only CPR. “Instead of taking time [to deliver breaths], the idea is to press hard and fast on the chest,” says Raina Merchant, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. You can find CPR certification courses at cpr.heart.org. But here are the basics:
Step 1. First check for responsiveness; if someone falls unconscious and stops breathing normally, call 911. If you’re untrained in CPR, the dispatcher can guide you through it.
Step 2. Place victim on his back on a firm, flat surface. Kneel next to his shoulder.
Step 3. Place the heel of one hand in the center of victim’s chest (below the breastbone, the area where the ribs come together). Place the other hand on top. Lace your fingers together.
Step 4. Keeping elbows straight and your shoulders over your hands, push down two inches hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 pumps a minute (press to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive,” the Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever). Continue until help arrives.
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