middle of the chest – “essentially, between the nipples” – and start pressing hard and fast.
Don’t be squeamish.
Roughly 350,000 U.S. adults experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest annually in the United States, according to AHA statistics. But bystanders, or lay rescuers, administer CPR in only about 40% of cases. Research shows people in low-income and predominantly Black neighborhoods are less likely to receive bystander CPR than those in predominantly white neighborhoods with higher income, and women are less likely to receive CPR than men.
Chest compressions might require opening or cutting away someone’s bulky clothing or removing a bra to reach the middle of their chest or apply AED pads. “It is important that people also have an image of how they would do that,” Hunt says, because even though it may be a little uncomfortable, they can save a life.
RELATED: Black Americans Less Likely to Get Bystander CPR
Don’t fret about mouth-to-mouth.
If you’re wary of breathing into a stranger, don’t, Cabañas says. These days, training emphasizes hands-only CPR for the first few minutes, which has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR with rescue breaths in the first few minutes after cardiac arrest in adults and teens.
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation – two rescue breaths after every 30 compressions – is important, however, for infants and children and if someone’s heart stopped because of choking or drowning, Hunt adds. “But if you don’t know how to do it, compressions-only is still great,” she says.
Don’t worry about hurting someone.
One of the biggest misconceptions about CPR, Cabañas says, is that you can harm someone in cardiac arrest.
“The biggest risk is not doing something,” he shares. Whether it’s concerns about legality, propriety or breaking bones, “I would emphasize that there is actually more potential harm by not doing or participating in providing bystander CPR when somebody collapses in front of you.” Good Samaritan laws protect people who step in to provide lifesaving care.
Hunt puts it this way: If someone’s heart has stopped, “they’re already dead.” So any problems caused by CPR are not as bad as not doing CPR.
Don’t be afraid to move them.
If someone falls in a twisted position, you might have to straighten them out to get them on their back, Hunt says. If they are on a bed or couch, it is best to lower them to the ground so that CPR can be performed on a firm surface.
You’re likely to use it on someone you know.
Some people think they’ll never need to use CPR, Cabañas says. They’ll say, “My family’s healthy,” or they think it’s unlikely they’ll encounter anybody who needs help. “And that is not the case.”
Research shows more than 70% of cardiac arrests happen in a home or private residence. So learning CPR should be