CPR & Rescue Breaths
Cardiac arrest kills 30,000 people a year in the UK outside hospital. Bystander CPR doubles the chance of survival. Learn the sequence: check, call, compress, breathe. Practice on a pillow until the rhythm is muscle memory.
Official St John Ambulance UK guide. Clear, calm, professional.
Push HARD and FAST: 5-6cm deep, 100-120 compressions per minute. The beat of 'Stayin' Alive' by the Bee Gees is the right tempo.
Don't worry about hurting them, cracked ribs are survivable, cardiac arrest without CPR is not.
If you're not trained or uncomfortable with rescue breaths, compression-only CPR is still effective. Just keep pushing.
Call 999 first. Put the phone on speaker and they'll talk you through it in real time.
CHECK: Shake shoulders firmly and shout 'Are you OK?'. Check for normal breathing (gasping is NOT normal breathing)
CALL: Dial 999 (or 112). Put on speaker. Tell them your location and that someone isn't breathing
COMPRESS: Place heel of one hand on centre of chest (between the nipples). Other hand on top, fingers interlocked
Push hard and fast: 5-6cm deep, 100-120 per minute. Keep arms straight, push from your shoulders
After 30 compressions: tilt head back, lift chin, pinch nose, seal your mouth over theirs
Give 2 rescue breaths, each lasting about 1 second. Watch for chest rise
Continue 30:2 cycle until paramedics arrive or person starts breathing normally
If an AED (defibrillator) is available, turn it on and follow the voice prompts, it won't shock unless needed
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