How to Place Your Hands for CPR Chest Compressions

Chest compressions keep oxygenated blood flowing throughout the body and are vital if the person is not breathing since the heart will stop pumping blood. To effectively perform CPR chest compressions, you must know where to place your hands. If you don't press on the correct place, you could damage internal organs and fail to help the person breathe.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Bare the victim's chest. Place the heel of your hand parallel to the sternum, the bone that covers the heart, and between the nipples of your victim.

2. Put your heel of your free hand directly over the wrist of your engaged hand. Lock your fingers together.

3. Do compressions using the heel of your hand, not your fingers, or your chest compressions will be ineffective.

4. Compress the chest to a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches Don't worry about bruising the heart or cracking a rib or the sternum; they'll heal.

5. Allow the chest to recoil fully between chest compressions and that you are doing the proper amount (100 per minute). Continue doing chest compressions until your victim starts breathing, help arrives or you become too physically exhausted to continue.

Tips & Warnings

• Under the Good Samaritan Law, you cannot be sued or prosecuted if you hurt the person while trying to help them.
• This information does not replace an American Heart Association CPR class.

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Resources

• Go the American Heart Association for more information.