As a little girl, I watched my father suffer from two massive heart attacks by the time he had reached the age of 40. More recently, he suffered a stroke while home on Christmas Eve. While none of those instances required CPR intervention, they all had one thing in common: mere moments mattered.

These medical emergencies happened without notice, required immediate medical intervention and diagnoses, and were devastating for my family. Had it not been for my mom’s astute attention to my father’s health and the signs of a cardiac emergency, my father may not be here today. 

I felt helpless in that moment.

Now an adult with my own child, I wanted to ensure I was trained and ready to respond so I never felt those helpless feelings again. In January, I received my Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED certification for a third time and was reminded just how important it can be to have the skills to help during an emergency. 

While I would encourage everyone to be fully trained in First Aid/CPR/AED, Hands-Only CPR – or Compression-Only CPR – is a quick, free and simple technique anyone can do, that can help keep blood flowing from the heart to the brain and other vital organs.

By administering this support when a person has gone into cardiac arrest it helps provide them with precious time before emergency medical personnel arrive or someone with additional skills can step in to take over.

When on the scene of an emergency, you should first quickly check your surroundings to ensure you and the victim are not in a dangerous location. From there, tap the shoulder of the victim and yell to see if they regain any level of consciousness. At the same time, check for breathing, life-threatening bleeding, or any other life-threatening conditions.

If others are around, direct one person to call 911 and to collect an AED and first aid kit. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing, or only gasping, begin Hands-Only CPR. 

Hands-Only CPR can be conducted by completing these six simple steps:

1. Ensure the person is on their back on a firm, flat surface.
2. Kneel beside the person.
   1. Your knees should be near the person’s body and spread about shoulder-width apart.
3. Use correct hand placement. 
   1. Place the heel of one hand in the center of their chest, with your other hand on top. 
   2. Interlace your fingers and make sure they are up off the chest. 
4. Use correct body position.
   1. Position your body so that your shoulders are directly over your hands. 
   2. Lock your elbows to keep your arms straight. 
5. Give continuous compressions.
   1. Push hard and fast (at least 2 inches; 100 to 120 compressions per minute).
   2. Think of the song ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ or the ‘Imperial Death March’ to achieve proper compression cadence. 
6. Allow chest to return to its normal position after each compression.

Continue providing compressions until you notice an obvious sign of life like breathing, an AED is ready, a trained responder is available to take over compressions, EMS personnel arrive and begin care, you are alone and too tired to continue, or the scene becomes unsafe. 

When moments matter, having the training and confidence to act can make a tremendous impact and save lives. 

For more information on Hands-Only CPR or to learn other lifesaving skills, visit the American Red Cross website, download the free Red Cross First Aid app and activate the First Aid Skill for Alexa-enabled devices.

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