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Standards for CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation saves lives. "Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim's chance of survival," reports the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross specialize in CPR training. Both organizations strive to have CPR guidelines that promote accuracy and consistency, without making CPR too complicated for the general public to master.

  1. Compression to Breath Ratio

    • The compression to breath ratio should be 30 chest compressions to two breaths. This ratio is applied to all victims thus making training and retention easier. The American Heart Association, in its Circulation Journal, provides an explanation behind the 30:2 ratio. "It is designed to increase the number of compressions, reduce the likelihood of hyperventilation (and) minimize interruptions in chest compressions for ventilation," reports the journal. The 30:2 ratio also allows the rescuer to catch her breath during compressions.

      If there are two rescuers and the victim is an infant or a child, the ratio should be lowered to 15 compressions to two breaths. One rescuer should be the breather while the second acts as the compressor; the two rescuers should change roles every two minutes.

    Breathing Technique

    • Rescue breaths should be one second long. The rescuer should be able to see the victim's chest rise with each breath. If the victim's chest does not rise, his airway may not be opened properly. Breaths that are too long or too forceful can take away from valuable compression time and may cause too much air to enter the victim's stomach, according to the American Red Cross.

      If the victim is an infant, the breaths will be shorter and the rescuer should provide just enough breath to see the infant's chest rise. The American Heart Association says a rescuer should take a regular breath before giving a rescue breath as a deep breath can cause him to become dizzy or lightheaded.

    Compression Technique

    • The American Red Cross standards call for 100 chest compressions per minute. When performing CPR on an adult or a child, a rescuer should place her hands on the center of the chest. She should compress an adult's chest 1 1/2 to 2 inches and compress a child's the child's chest 1 to 1 1/2 inches.

      Infant CPR chest compression technique differs in that instead of using both hands, a rescuer should use two or three fingers, place them on the center of the chest (just below the nipple line), and compress the infant's chest 1/2 to 1 inch.

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