All About Hands-Only CPR: Follow These 4 Easy Steps

There are two types of CPR: conventional CPR and hands-only CPR. Conventional CPR involves giving chest compressions and rescue breaths to the person. When we talk about hands only CPR, it involves giving only chest compressions to the person.

Hands-only CPR is easier to do and remember than conventional CPR. It can also be more effective in some situations, such as when the person has collapsed suddenly due to a cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops working properly and cannot pump blood around the body.

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What is hands-only CPR?

Hands-only CPR is a type of CPR that involves giving only chest compressions to the person who has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped beating. It does not include giving rescue breaths to the person. Chest compressions are when you push hard and fast on the center of the person’s chest, about two inches deep, and at a pace of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

Chest compressions help to pump blood around the body and deliver oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. CPR can prevent brain damage and death from cardiac arrest.

How to perform hands-only CPR?

Performing hands-only CPR technique is simple and easy with these four steps:

1. Check for responsiveness and breathing. If you see someone collapse or find someone who is unresponsive, check if they are breathing normally by looking at their chest and listening for sounds. If the victim is gasping or not breathing, they need CPR pronto.

2. Call or ask someone to call 911. Tell the operator that the person is not breathing and needs CPR. If possible, put the phone on speaker mode so you can hear the operator’s instructions while you perform CPR.

3. Start chest compressions by positioning your hands on the center of the victim’s chest, between their nipples. Gently place your one hand on top of the other. Firmly interlock your fingers. Push hard and fast on their chest, about two inches deep, and at a rate of 100 to 120 times per minute.

4. Keep going until help arrives. Do not stop chest compressions unless the person starts breathing normally, an automated external defibrillator (AED) is ready to use, or a trained responder takes over.

When to perform hands-only CPR?

You should perform hands-only CPR when you witness someone collapse suddenly due to a cardiac arrest or when you find someone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of age or health condition. It can be caused by various factors, such as heart disease, trauma, drug overdose, drowning, choking, or electric shock.

If you see someone with visible signs of cardiac arrest, do not hesitate to act. Some signs of cardiac arrest include:

– Sudden loss of consciousness

– No pulse or heartbeat

– No breathing or only gasping

– No movement or response

Why is hands-only CPR important?

Hands-only CPR is important because it can save lives by keeping blood and oxygen flowing to the brain and other vital organs until medical help arrives.

If bystanders perform CPR within the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, the person’s chance of survival can double or triple. Unfortunately, many bystanders do not perform CPR because they are afraid of doing something wrong, hurting the person, or catching a disease. Hands-only CPR can overcome these barriers by making CPR easier and safer to do.

Conclusion

To perform hands-only CPR, you just need to follow four steps: check for responsiveness and breathing, call 911, start chest compressions, and keep going until help arrives. Hands-only CPR can save lives by keeping blood and oxygen flowing to the brain and other vital organs. If more people learned and performed hands-only CPR, thousands of lives could be saved each year.