The importance of being able to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better known as CPR, has been in the news recently. But would you know what to do? This article explores how to carry out CPR on adults, children and infants under one-year-old.

If you spot someone who is unconscious and their breathing has stopped or is abnormal, that is when you should use CPR. It is important that you ring 999 or get someone else to, and then begin. The operator will also give you advice on what to do, but knowing the principles in advance will help.

How to carry out CPR

CPR on adults

IF you are confident in giving CPR with rescue breaths (what people used to call ‘the kiss of life’), then you should give chest compressions with rescue breaths. You might have undertaken training, for example. If not, stick to hands-only CPR.

Hands-only CPR

Instructions on chest compressions:

• Kneeling next to the person, put the heel of your hand in the centre of their chest, on their breastbone.
• Put the palm of your other hand on top of the hand on the chest and make sure you interlock your fingers.
• Keep your shoulders directly above your hands for the process.
• Press straight down by 5 to 6cm on their chest, using your body weight and not just the strength in your arms.
• Keep your hands on their chest, but release the compression and let the chest to return to where it was.
• Repeat this 100 to 120 times a minute until the ambulance gets there or you can’t continue.

CPR with rescue breaths

• Kneeling next to the person, put the heel of your hand in the centre of their chest, on their breastbone.
• Put the palm of your other hand on top of the hand on the chest and make sure you interlock your fingers.
• Keep your shoulders directly above your hands for the process.
• Press straight down by 5 to 6cm on their chest, using your body weight and not just the strength in your arms.
• Keep your hands on their chest, but release the compression and let the chest to return to where it was.
• After every 30 chest compressions, give 2 rescue breaths.
• Tilt their head gently and lift the chin up with 2 fingers. Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about 1 second.
• Check that their chest rises.
• Then give the second breath.
• Continue to give 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until they start to recover or the paramedics get there.

CPR on children

Knowing how to carry out CPR on adults is one thing, but it’s important to know how to give it to children too. The reason that it is preferable to give kid CPR with recuse breaths is that they are more likely to have an issue with their airways than with their heart.

Children over 1 year

• Open the child’s airway by placing one hand on their forehead and gently tilting their head back and lifting the chin.
• If you can see any obstructions in their mouth or nose, remove them.
• Pinch their nose.
• Seal your mouth over their mouth, and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth, checking that their chest rises.
• Give 5 rescue breaths at first.
• Place the heel of one hand on the centre of the child’s chest and push down by 5cm.
• It is essential to get that 5cm depth. Use both hands if you can’t manage 5cm with one.
• After every 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 a minute, give two breaths.
• Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until the child begins to recover or the paramedic arrives.

Infants under 1 year

• Open the infant’s airway by placing one hand on their forehead and gently tilting their head back and lifting the chin.
• If you can see any obstructions in their mouth or nose, remove them.
• Place your mouth over the infant’s mouth and nose and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth
• Check that their chest rises.
• Give 5 rescue breaths at first.
• Place two fingers in the middle of their chest and push down by 4cm.
• It is essential to get that 4cm depth. Use the heel of one hand if you can’t manage 4cm with two fingers.
• After every 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 a minute, give two rescue breaths.
• Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until the infant begins to recover or the paramedic arrives.

Do you know how to carry out CPR and have you ever had to put it into practice? Tell us about it in the Comments