How to Meet the American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR

CPR is a life-saving practice used to resuscitate individuals who have suffered cardiac or respiratory arrest. The American Heart Association has created and maintained a series of guidelines to help health care providers and laypersons alike understand how to perform CPR in an emergency situation. These guidelines are easy to meet, making it possible for anyone to learn the life-saving techniques.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Perform CPR According to the AHA Guidelines

1. Send someone to get help while you attempt to complete the CPR process. Get someone's attention and make sure they call 911 to alert trained medical professionals.

2. Position the victim flat on his back. Tilt the head backwards into what's known as the "sniffing position." His mouth should fall open.

3. Check to make sure there are no obstructions in the mouth or throat. Do a finger sweep of the victim's mouth. If the victim is choking, a firm finger sweep may dislodge the obstruction.

4. Clamp your mouth over the victim's mouth and deliver two quick "rescue breaths." A rescue breath should be delivered in a forceful, 1 second burst. Watch to make sure the victim's chest rises and falls.

5. Perform chest compressions. Keep your hands together, and press into the chest using the heels of your palms. Chest compressions should be delivered to the center of the chest, approximately 1 inch below the nipples.

6. Meet the AHA guidelines by performing a cycle of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths.

Find More Information on CPR Guidelines

7. Visit the official website of the American Heart Association for detailed information on every aspect of the CPR process. There are special guidelines you'll need to meet in order to perform CPR on a child. Read about various devices that can be used in performing CPR, as well as symptoms of cardiac arrest (see Resources below).

8. Watch for any updates on the American Heart Association's guidelines for CPR. Every few years, the AHA revises their guidelines based on new scientific information. Their latest updates are explained via podcasts on their official website (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• The AHA has divided their CPR guidelines into two categories: directions for health care providers and for laypersons. The guidelines for CPR have been simplified to make it easier for laypersons to understand.
• Regardless of whether or not you meet the American Heart Association's guidelines for CPR, it's not likely that you will be able to re-start an individual's heart once he's gone into cardiac arrest. However, CPR can help keep oxygenated blood flowing through the body. This can decrease the risk of permanent brain damage.
• While the AHA used to encourage laypersons and health care providers to check for a pulse regularly while performing CPR, the practice is now discouraged. The time necessary for most people to locate a pulse and record a heart rate makes it harder to complete the other steps in the CPR process.

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Resources

• Complete CPR guidelines from the American Heart Association
• AHA podcast of CPR guidelines