5 steps for lifesaving CPR
More than 350,000 people had sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital in 2017. Those who received CPR were two to three times more likely to survive.
Joshua Moeckly, a Mayo Clinic cardiac nurse, explains the five steps you should go through in an effort to save a life.
It's a moment everyone hopes they never experience, but it could happen any time: finding a person in cardiac arrest unconscious and nonresponsive.
Moeckly says the first thing you should do is make sure the scene is safe before approaching the person. Step No. 2 is to call 911 and get help on the way.
Step No. 3: Check for breathing and a pulse.
If the person is not breathing and has no pulse, Moeckly says it's time to start step No. 4: chest compressions.
Using both hands, push down on the person's sternum about 2-2 { inches.
"Typically, you want to go to 100 to 120 beats per minute," Moeckly says. "And the most common song people think of when they perform CPR is "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees,"
After about 30 compressions, step No. 5 is rescue breaths.
"You want to ensure that their airway is open before you administer a breath to them," Moeckly says. "So you'll tilt their head and then breathe into their mouth a full, deep second, take a deep breath, (and) breathe into their mouth for another deep second."
Moeckly says, from there, the best thing you can do is to repeat the process until the person wakes up or help arrives.
©2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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