Hands-Only CPR Fact Sheet PDF

# Hands-Only CPR Fact Sheet ## Why Learn Hands-Only CPR? * Cardiac arrest - an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs - is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 EMS-ass...

# Hands-Only CPR Fact Sheet ## Why Learn Hands-Only CPR? * Cardiac arrest - an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs - is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 EMS-assessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. * When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby. * According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival. ## Be the Difference for Someone You Love * If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend. * Over 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. * Only about 40% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. ## Hands-Only CPR * Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective in the first few minutes as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public. ### How to Perform Hands-Only CPR 1. **Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse.** 2. **Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute.** ## Call 911 * The telecommunicator on the other end of the line can assist you while getting the emergency help you need on the way. ## Music Can Save Lives * Song examples include "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira" or "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song. * When performing CPR, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, which corresponds to the beat of the song examples above. ## Take 90 Seconds to Learn How to Save a Life * Watch the 90-second video. Visit heart\.org/handsonlycpr to watch the Hands-Only CPR instructional video and share it with the important people in your life. Hands-Only CPR is a natural introduction to CPR, and the AHA encourages everyone to learn conventional CPR as a next step. You can find a CPR class near you at heart\.org/CPR. **NOTE:** The AHA still recommends CPR with compressions and breaths for infants and children and victims of drowning, drug overdose, or people who collapse due to breathing problems. ## Learn More * To learn more, visit heart.org/handsonlycpr * **#CPRwithHeart** * **CPR week is June 1-7** ©Copyright 2024 American Heart Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited. 5/24 DS19398