Hands-Only CPR is CPR without rescue breaths. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), if you see a teen or adult collapse, you can perform Hands-Only CPR with just two easy steps:
1) Call 911 and
2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the Bee Gees’ classic disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” The song is 100 beats per minute – the minimum rate you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.
What is the difference between Hands-Only CPR and CPR with breaths? Which one am I supposed to do in an emergency?
Hands-Only CPR performed by a bystander has been shown to be as effective as CPR with breaths in the first few minutes of an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest for an adult victim. If you do not know how to administer CPR with breaths, don’t be afraid to act in an emergency; your actions can only help. Any attempt at CPR is better than no attempt. If you see an unconscious, unresponsive adult, call 9-1-1 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” This song, and other songs with a rhythm of 100 to 120 beats per minute, mimic the rate you should push on the chest during CPR. The AHA still recommends CPR with compressions and breaths for infants, children, victims of drowning or drug overdose, or people who collapse due to breathing problems.
The American Red Cross states that many people who survive a cardiac emergency are helped by a bystander. They have a short video you can watch and learn how to perform Hands-Only CPR so that you can help deliver life-saving care until professional first responders arrive.