HANDS ONLY CPR
• Q: What is Hands-Only CPR?
A: Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth
breaths. It is recommended for use by people who see
an adult suddenly collapse in the “out-of- hospital” setting.
It consists of two steps:
– Call 911 (or send someone to do that).
– Begin providing high-quality chest compressions by pushing hard
and fast in the center of the chest with minimal interruptions.
– American Heart Association
Q: Who should receive Hands-Only
CPR?
Hands-Only CPR is recommended for use
on adults who suddenly collapse. It can
be used on those that are 8 years or older
The American Heart Association
Q: Is Hands Only CPR as effective as
conventional CPR?
A. Hands-Only CPR performed by a bystander has been
shown to be as effective as conventional CPR (CPR that
includes breaths) in the first few minutes of an out-ofhospital sudden cardiac arrest.
B. Providing conventional CPR may be better than HandsOnly CPR for certain victims such as infants and children,
adults who are found in cardiac arrest or victims of
drowning or collapse due to breathing problems. Any
attempt at CPR is better than no attempt.
The American Heart Association
Q: Will Hands-Only CPR increase the chance of a
bystander taking action in a cardiac
emergency?
A. Yes. In a national survey, Americans who have
not been trained in CPR within the last 5 years
stated that they would be more likely to perform
Hands-Only CPR than conventional CPR for an
adult who collapses suddenly.
The American Heart Association
First:
Hands Only
CPR
If you see a teen or
adult suddenly
collapse
Assess the
scene
Ask if they are
okay?
Check for
Signs of life.
Next
Call 911.
Then
Push hard and fast in
the center of the
chest.
100 compressions
Per minute.
How to assess an accident scene:
How to assess an accident scene:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Look at the area surrounding the accident scene to look for any ongoing danger.
• Look for risks, such as traffic, downed power lines or fire, that may cause additional injury to the
accident victims or individuals trying to provide help.
• Understand any danger, as best as possible, prior to moving forward to help. If a scene is too
dangerous to enter, wait for emergency personnel to respond.
Observe the scene and try to determine how the accident was caused and what happened, if you did not
witness the incident.
• Consider where victims are and how badly they are injured by assessing the placement of vehicles and
visible damage.
Identify other individuals in the area who can help provide assistance.
• Ask bystanders if they know first aid or CPR, and instruct someone to call 9-1-1 immediately.
Look for injured people and determine how many victims there are.
• Ask conscious accident victims if anyone was traveling with them; check in cars and the surrounding
area for unconscious victims.
• Tend to unresponsive victims first, as they may be suffering from more serious injuries.
Scan the scene again for possible danger to ensure that no further injury is sustained by you or the victims.
Accident scenes can change quickly and should be continually assessed for safety.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8488866_assess-accident-scene.html
What do you need to know when you
call 911?
•
•
•
•
•
State what is wrong: there has been an accident;
someone is unconscious; etc. Be as detailed as
possible.
The number of people injured.
Know the location where you are. Your address,
landmarks to help guide EMS, cross streets, etc.
Your phone number that you are calling from. (so
they can call back if needed)
You (the caller) hang up last.
Signs of Life
• Things to check for before you give Hands
Only CPR:
– Consciousness-Signs of life (movement and
breathing) Lightly tap or shake their
shoulders and say, “Are you okay, are you
okay?”
– Pulse (is there one?)
– Breath (are they breathing?)
– Severe bleeding (is it life threatening?)
Q. What should I do if I am getting tired from
giving chest compressions before more help
arrives?
A. Continue to provide hard and fast chest compressions
with minimal interruption to the best of your ability. We
realize that giving good quality chest compressions at 100
times per minute is hard work. Most people will get tired
after only a few minutes of delivering any type of CPR. If
someone else is nearby, ask that person to take over chest
compressions after about 2 minutes or about 200
compressions. If you are alone, then just do your best.
The American Heart Association
Q. Not all people who suddenly collapse are in cardiac arrest. Will
CPR seriously hurt them?
A. Adults who suddenly collapse and are not responsive are likely to
have sudden cardiac arrest and their chance of survival is nearly zero
unless someone takes action immediately.
B. You should call 911 and start giving hard and fast chest
compressions in the center of the chest, with minimal interruptions.
C. If sudden cardiac arrest is the cause of the collapse, Hands-Only CPR
is an easy, effective way for any bystander to more than double the
victim's chance for survival.
D. If an adult has collapsed for reasons other than sudden cardiac arrest,
Hands-Only CPR could still help by causing the person to respond
(begin to move, breathe normally or speak). If that occurs, HandsOnly CPR can be stopped.
E. Otherwise, chest compressions should continue until EMS providers
arrive
The American Heart Association
Q: Is there a danger in jumping in and giving CPR
without being trained?
A. On average, any attempt to provide CPR to a victim is better than
no attempt to provide help.
Q. Why don’t adults who suddenly collapse need mouth-to-mouth
breathing in the first few minutes after their cardiac arrest?
A. When an adult suddenly collapses with cardiac arrest, their lungs
and blood contain enough oxygen to keep vital organs healthy for the
first few minutes, as long as someone provides high quality chest
compressions with minimal interruption to pump blood to the heart
and brain.
The American Heart Association
Hands Only CPR
Study Guide
1. How should a rescuer check for a response in a victim? Tap them on the
shoulders and say “Are you okay, are you okay?”
2. Hands-Only CPR is only appropriate for use on a victim of what age? Teens or
adults (anyone over the age of 8)
3. Do you need to give mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing when using HandsOnly CPR? ____NO____
4. Name 2 basic steps to follow when you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse:
Call 911 and begin pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest with
minimal interruptions.
5. Describe where to place your hands when giving Hands-Only CPR: place
your hands on the sternum, above the xiphoid process, on the center of the
chest. (middle of the chest between the nipples)
6. How hard should you push on the chest when giving HandsOnly CPR? Push hard enough to move the chest about 2
inches
7. Hands-Only CPR can be as effective as conventional CPR for
teen or adult victims who suddenly collapse and are
unresponsive. True
8. What is the rate for giving chest compressions during HandsOnly CPR? 100 compressions per minute
9. Name a song that matches the rate for giving chest
compressions during Hands-Only CPR. Stayin’ Alive or Man
in the Mirror
10. Only a trained adult can perform Hands-Only CPR. False
11. How do you know if your hands are in the right place when
giving compressions? ________
• Do the best you can.
• Imagine a dotted line between each nipple.
• Place one hand on top of the other in the center of the
chest.
12. How long do you continue performing CPR? ________
• Until an AED arrives and is ready to use.
• Until professional help arrives.
• Until a friend takes over.
13. In your opinion, why do you think the American Heart Association
developed a more simple approach for giving CPR to victims who suddenly
collapse? Since someone is more likely to give help to someone if they do
not have to worry about giving rescue breaths
14. Even though Hands Only CPR has 2 steps what other steps should you take
before performing Hands Only on a victim? Assess the scene to be sure it is
safe AND check for signs of life
15. What signs of life do you look for? (pulse / feel for breathing /
look for the rising and falling of chest)
16. What is the leading cause of death in adults? Sudden cardiac
arrest
17.CPR doubles a person’s chance of survival from sudden
cardiac arrest.
18. When you call 911 you need to provide them with important
information: how many victims, what happened (if you know),
your name, and ………………..? the address or location of
where you are