Revive & Survive San Diego Resources
Hands-Only CPR Training Guide
What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is something you can do to help save the life of someone whose heart has stopped beating (cardiac arrest). There are about 350,000 cardiac arrests that happen outside of the hospital in the U.S. each year. Each moment without CPR is another moment that someone does not have blood flowing through parts of the body, including the lungs, brain, and the heart itself.
Some songs between 100-120 beats per minute include, “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Bee Gees, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake, and “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” by Taylor Swift. Visit the American Heart Association’s “Don’t Drop the Beat” playlist on Spotify for a list of over 100 songs to help you keep the beat.
Why is early hands-only CPR important?
By doing early hands-only CPR on someone without a heartbeat, you are pumping blood around his/her body until more advanced rescuers can arrive. For each minute that CPR is delayed, there is about a 10% decline in the chance of survival. The chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest and living a normal life again depend on receiving good-quality, early CPR from bystanders.
How can I learn hands-only CPR?
Hands-only CPR is something that nearly everyone can learn in just a few minutes. Visit our website for a full list of free training opportunities in your area.
Multilingual Hands-Only CPR Training Guides (PDF Downloads)
- A downloadable PDF for hands-only CPR in Spanish is available by clicking this link.
- A downloadable PDF for hands-only CPR in Mandarin is available by clicking this link.
- A downloadable PDF for hands-only CPR in Tagalog is available by clicking this link.
- A downloadable PDF for hands-only CPR in Vietnamese is available by clicking this link.
Post-Training Resources
PulsePoint
- A mobile app that alerts CPR-trained bystanders if someone nearby is having a sudden cardiac arrest that may require CPR.
FAQs
- What is hands-only CPR?
- CPR is an action anyone can learn to give someone the best chance of survival after an individual heart stops beating (cardiac arrest). Unlike previous CPR training that required mouth-to-mouth breathing, hands-only CPR involves pushing and fast in the center of the (chest compressions), which has been shown to be effective in saving lives.
- CPR is an action anyone can learn to give someone the best chance of survival after an individual heart stops beating (cardiac arrest). Unlike previous CPR training that required mouth-to-mouth breathing, hands-only CPR involves pushing and fast in the center of the (chest compressions), which has been shown to be effective in saving lives.
- Is hands-only CPR as effective as conventional CPR?
- Yes, hands-only CPR is just as effective as conventional CPR with rescue breaths for adults, especially when started within minutes of someone collapsing.
- Yes, hands-only CPR is just as effective as conventional CPR with rescue breaths for adults, especially when started within minutes of someone collapsing.
- Does hands-only CPR improve someone’s chances of survival from a cardiac arrest?
- Immediate hands-only bystander CPR provided after a cardiac arrest can double someone’s chances of survival.
- Immediate hands-only bystander CPR provided after a cardiac arrest can double someone’s chances of survival.
- Who should receive hands-only CPR?
- Hands-only CPR should be used on teenagers and adults who are unresponsive and not breathing. It is most effective on those who collapse suddenly. It is far better to start hands-only CPR than to do nothing. In infants and children (any person who has not yet started puberty), the American Heart Association recommends traditional CPR with rescue breathing.
- Hands-only CPR should be used on teenagers and adults who are unresponsive and not breathing. It is most effective on those who collapse suddenly. It is far better to start hands-only CPR than to do nothing. In infants and children (any person who has not yet started puberty), the American Heart Association recommends traditional CPR with rescue breathing.
- What is the correct rate and depth of chest compressions?
- Press hard and fast in the center of the chest. The compression rate should be 100-120 per minute at a depth of at least two inches. Some songs between 100-120 beats per minute include, “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Bee Gees, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake, and “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” by Taylor Swift. Visit the American Heart Association’s “Don’t Drop the Beat” playlist on Spotify for a list of over 100 songs to help you keep the beat.
- Press hard and fast in the center of the chest. The compression rate should be 100-120 per minute at a depth of at least two inches. Some songs between 100-120 beats per minute include, “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Bee Gees, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake, and “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” by Taylor Swift. Visit the American Heart Association’s “Don’t Drop the Beat” playlist on Spotify for a list of over 100 songs to help you keep the beat.
- Should I wait for emergency medical services (EMS) professionals to arrive before starting hands-only CPR?
- No. If you find someone in cardiac arrest, call 911 and start hands-only CPR as soon as possible. Without CPR, brain death begins 4 to 6 minutes after the heart stops beating. Every minute without CPR decreases a person’s chance of survival by 7 to 10 percent.
- No. If you find someone in cardiac arrest, call 911 and start hands-only CPR as soon as possible. Without CPR, brain death begins 4 to 6 minutes after the heart stops beating. Every minute without CPR decreases a person’s chance of survival by 7 to 10 percent.
- What if I’m unsure or afraid to perform hands-only CPR?
- Call 911. The emergency medical dispatchers are trained to help you perform lifesaving CPR.
- Call 911. The emergency medical dispatchers are trained to help you perform lifesaving CPR.
- Where do most cardiac arrests happen?
- About 75 to 80 percent of all cardiac arrests outside of the hospital happen at home. Being trained to perform hands-only CPR can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.
- About 75 to 80 percent of all cardiac arrests outside of the hospital happen at home. Being trained to perform hands-only CPR can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.
- Can I injure someone while performing CPR?
- Do not hesitate to start hands-only CPR. Your actions give a person in cardiac arrest the best chance of life.
- Do not hesitate to start hands-only CPR. Your actions give a person in cardiac arrest the best chance of life.
- What if I get tired and need to take a break?
- Continuous CPR is critical for increasing a person’s chance of survival. The only times you should stop hands-only compressions are when:
- you see obvious signs of life,
- someone else can take over compressions
- you are too exhausted to continue.
- Continuous CPR is critical for increasing a person’s chance of survival. The only times you should stop hands-only compressions are when:
- Can I be held liable for performing CPR?
- The Good Samaritan Law protects members of the public and their actions when they decide to help someone in an emergency. There are Good Samaritan Laws in all states, including California, that protect you when performing CPR, whether you are certified or not.
