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Adult CPR is performed by checking for patient responsiveness, contacting the emergency services, and checking for breathing for up to 10 seconds. Next, perform 30 compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute and a depth of 5 to 6 cm in the centre of the chest. Compressions should be the same speed on the push and the release and at a regular interval.
These 30 compressions should be followed by two rescue breaths, then the cycle of compressions to breaths should be repeated until an AED or the emergency services arrives. Do not waste time between the compressions and the breaths. It should just be a maximum of a 10-second break in giving the compression. It is vital to keep the oxygen-rich blood pumping around the body, which is why compressions are so important.
Rescue breaths are carried out by opening the airway with the head tilt, chin lift, squeezing the soft part of the nose, and sealing your mouth around the victim's, blow gently in for about one second or until you see the chest rise.
The latest CPR guidelines are the 2021 UK and European Resuscitation Council guidelines. The next scheduled update will be until October 2025.
