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CPR Training Guidelines

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It uses breathing and chest compressions to try to start a person's heartbeat after cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association, CPR provided as soon as someone's heart stops doubles his chance of surviving. The American Heart Association also says a victim's chance of survival falls by 7 to 10 percent for every minute he is not given CPR. There are some basic CPR training guidelines to follow for adults, children and infants.

  1. CPR for adults

    • If you come upon an unconscious adult, the first thing you should do is call 911 to let emergency dispatchers know about the situation and give them your location. Once you have done this, you need to check to see if the person is breathing. You can do this one of two ways: watch for the rise and fall of her chest or put your ear next to her nose to feel if there is air. If she is not breathing, you need to begin CPR. Tilt her head back, pinch her nose and cover her mouth with yours. Breathe into her mouth for about one second, until you see her chest rise. Do this two times. If the person is still not breathing, you need to start chest compressions. Put one hand over the other and interlock your fingers. Place the heel of your hand at the sternum, which is toward the top of the ribs and between the nipples. Press down 1½ to 2 inches quickly 30 times. Do not be alarmed if you hear cracking. Ribs may crack, but it is much more important to get the person breathing. Repeat the above steps until emergency help arrives or the person begins breathing on her own.

    CPR for children

    • You should use the following guidelines for children from age 1 to 8. CPR for children is similar to that for adults, but there are a few differences. If you discover a child who is not breathing, give two minutes of CPR before you call 911 rather than calling 911 right away. For the chest compressions, you only use the heel of one hand. Instead of pushing down 1½ to 2 inches, push down about 1/3 the depth of the chest. That means your chest compressions will vary on different-size children. The number of breaths for children is still two and the number of chest compressions is still 30.

    CPR for infants

    • CPR guidelines for infants should be used for children under the age of 1. To check to see if a baby is breathing, tap him gently and shout at him. If he does not respond, gently tilt his head back and cover his nose and mouth with your mouth. Breathe gently into them for one second until you see his chest rise. Do this two times. You also do 30 chest compressions on infants, but use only two or three fingers. Place them in the middle of the chest, just below the nipples. Repeat the above steps for two minutes before calling 911.

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