If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, or only gasping, start CPR. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100 to 120 compressions per minute, and give 2 breaths after every 30 compressions.
The rhythm is the same for every age. Your hand position and depth change. The steps below are based on the 2025 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines.
When should I start CPR?
Unresponsive and not breathing normally, or only gasping. That is the whole test. Gasping is not breathing.
Not sure? Start anyway. Without CPR, a person in cardiac arrest will die, so a false alarm costs little and hesitation costs everything. About 350,000 people in the U.S. have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year, and about 90% do not survive. In 2024, only about 42% received CPR from a bystander.
Get the person face up on a firm, flat surface. Move them off a bed, chair, or wheelchair onto the floor.
How do I give chest compressions to an adult?
An adult is anyone with visible signs of puberty. If you are unsure, treat the person as an adult.
- Hands: heel of one hand on the lower half of the breastbone, other hand on top.
- Body: kneel beside them, arms straight, elbows locked, shoulders directly over your hands.
- Depth: at least 2 inches (5 cm), about the height of a credit card or more.
- Rate: 100 to 120 per minute.
- Recoil: let the chest come all the way back up between compressions.
Keep pauses to no more than 10 seconds, even for breaths or the AED. Move bulky clothing aside, or compress over it. For a pregnant woman, compress the same way.
Worried about breaking a rib? It can happen, especially with older adults. A broken rib heals; cardiac arrest without CPR is fatal.
How is CPR different for a child?
A child is anyone from 1 year old to puberty. Use one hand, or two hands for a larger child or if one hand cannot reach the depth. Press on the lower half of the breastbone, not on the bottom tip.
Push about 2 inches deep, at least one third the depth of the chest. The rate and ratio stay the same: 100 to 120 per minute, 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
How do I do CPR on an infant?
An infant is a baby under 1 year old. The 2025 pediatric guidelines teach two options:
- Two thumbs: thumbs side by side on the center of the chest just below the nipple line, with your fingers wrapped around the chest.
- Heel of one hand: on the center of the chest just below the nipple line.
Push about 1½ inches (4 cm), at least one third the depth of the chest, at 100 to 120 per minute, with 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
If you learned infant CPR years ago, you may remember pressing with two fingers. The 2025 guidelines eliminated the two-finger method. Parents and caregivers can also read about infant CPR classes.
How do I give rescue breaths?
- Open the airway. Put one hand on the forehead and your fingers on the bony part of the chin, not the soft tissue underneath. Tilt the head back. For an infant, tilt only slightly.
- Seal. Pinch the nose for mouth-to-mouth. For an infant, cover the mouth and nose. With a pocket mask, put the narrow end on the bridge of the nose and hold it tight while you tilt the head.
- Breathe. Give each breath over about 1 second, just enough to make the chest rise. Use small breaths for infants. Too much air goes into the stomach.
Chest did not rise? Let the head return to normal, reopen the airway, check your seal, and try once more. Then go back to compressions.
If a second rescuer is there, switch compressors about every 2 minutes, or sooner if you are tired.
Hands-Only CPR is not the same as full CPR
Hands-Only CPR means compressions with no breaths. It is for an adult or teen who suddenly collapses: call 911 and push hard and fast. It is a good choice for anyone untrained, unwilling, or unable to give breaths, and it is far better than doing nothing.
But some emergencies need breaths. Always give breaths for:
- Children and infants
- Drowning
- Choking
- Overdose
Drowning, choking, and overdose likely start with a breathing problem, so oxygen matters. Most of our students care for young children, which is why we want everyone comfortable giving breaths. See what to do for drowning.
What if I’m alone with no phone?
- Adult: go call 911 and get the AED first, then start CPR. For drowning, choking, or overdose, do 2 minutes of CPR first.
- Child or infant: do 2 minutes of CPR first, then go call 911.
Two minutes is about 5 rounds of 30 compressions and 2 breaths. If an infant is not injured, carry the baby with you to the phone and AED, then continue CPR.
With a cell phone, this rarely applies. Call on speaker and start CPR right away.
Use the AED as soon as it arrives. Keep going until EMS takes over or the person starts to respond. The Chain of Survival explains why these minutes matter.
This article is general education. It does not replace hands-on CPR and first aid training, where you practice these skills with an instructor.
How LP Health Directions can help
- CPR and First Aid classes in Phoenix and Tucson.
- On-site Group Training for daycares, schools, churches, and workplaces.
- AED Solutions for AED sales, leasing, and management.
- Book a class or contact us.
Sources
- American Heart Association, 2025 Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
- American Heart Association, Updated CPR guidelines released for pediatric and neonatal emergency care and resuscitation
- American Heart Association, Hands-Only CPR
- American Heart Association, CPR Facts and Updated Guidelines 2025
- American Heart Association, Top Takeaways from the 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update
Reviewed September 28, 2026. This article provides general education and does not replace first aid and CPR training, medical advice, or 911 guidance.