Overview

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency treatment that's done when someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped. For example, when someone has a heart attack or nearly drowns. CPR can help save a life.

The American Heart Association recommends starting CPR by pushing hard and fast on the chest. The pushes are called compressions. This hands-only CPR recommendation is for both people without training and first responders.

Here's CPR advice from the American Heart Association:

• Not trained. If you're not trained in CPR or don't want to put your mouth on the person's mouth or nose, then do hands-only CPR. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest 100 to 120 times a minute. Do this until medical help arrives. Details are described below. You don't need to place your mouth on the person's mouth or nose to give rescue breaths.
• Trained and ready to go. If you're well trained and confident in your CPR ability, check to see if there is a pulse and breathing. If there is no pulse or breathing within 10 seconds, begin chest compressions. Start CPR with 30 chest compressions. Then give two rescue breaths. Continue this pattern of chest compressions and rescue breaths until medical help arrives.
• Trained but out of practice. If you've previously received CPR training but you're not confident in your abilities, then just do 100 to 120 chest compressions a minute. Details are described below.

The above advice applies to situations in which adults, children and infants need CPR, but not newborns. Newborns are babies up to 4 weeks old.

CPR can keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain and other organs until emergency medical treatment can get the heart beating again. When the heart stops, the body no longer gets oxygen-rich blood. The lack of oxygen-rich blood can cause brain damage in only a few minutes.