Everything You Need to Know About CPR

November 2023

Ellen Song • Illustration by Nicole Medina

Imagine you’re at home with a loved one when they suddenly stop breathing and collapse. You shake their shoulder and shout their name, but they don’t respond. You call 911. Now what? If a person isn’t breathing and is unresponsive, it’s likely that their heart has stopped beating. When this happens, the blood stops moving, depriving the brain of oxygen. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to help. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) keeps blood flowing to the heart and brain of someone whose heart isn’t beating. It can help keep them alive until medical professionals arrive. Here are some facts about CPR. To learn more, sign up for a free class at your local Red Cross.

No Kissing Necessary

You might think CPR has to include breathing into another person’s mouth. In fact, hands-only CPR can be just as effective as mouth-to-mouth CPR for most teens and adults. (Infants, people who’ve stopped breathing because of drowning or drug overdose, and a few other types of situations usually do require mouth-to-mouth CPR.)

The Three C’s of Hands-Only CPR

1. CHECK:

Tap the person’s shoulder to make sure that they are not breathing or moving.

2. CALL:

Call 911. Keep the dispatcher on speakerphone so they can walk you through the process of hands-only CPR.

3. COMPRESS:

Place one hand on the other, palms facing down. Interlock your fingers. Lock your arms, keeping your elbows straight. Press firmly on the middle of the person’s chest. Press down about 2 to 2.5 inches for the average adult. If you’re doing CPR on an infant or a small child, use two thumbs to press down about 1.5 inches.