How To Perform CPR On An Adult

Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen collapsed and was treated on the pitch before being taken to hospital. Denmark’s team doctor, Morten Boesen, later confirmed Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest and that “he was gone” prior to being resuscitated. Eriksen, 29, is now stable and awake in hospital, and has sent a message to his teammates.

As many conversations have highlighted in the last few days, the speed of administering CPR made a huge difference. “Life is precious, learn CPR,” one doctor tweeted.

“Imagine the consequences of not knowing what to do,” another member of the public tweeted.

Many people shared illustrations with information on how to give CPR. If you’re interested in learning how yourself, here’s what you need to know:

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It combines chest compressions and rescue breaths to give a person the best chance of survival following a cardiac arrest, explains St John’s Ambulance, a volunteer-led, charitable organization that teaches first aid to the public.

During COVID-19, people are advised to do hands-only CPR. Even in non-pandemic times, you should only do rescue breaths if you’ve been trained and feel confident using your skills. If you’re not completely confident, it’s best to do hands-only CPR instead.

One of the best ways to learn CPR is by watching a YouTube video of people performing it but here’s a breakdown to ensure you’re doing it right, whether using only your hands or adding rescue breaths too.

Either way, if an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you still need to call 911 for emergency help, but you can start CPR as you wait.

To carry out a chest compression:

1. Place the heel of your hand on the breastbone at the center of the person’s chest. Place your other hand on top of your first hand and interlock your fingers.
2. Position yourself with your shoulders above your hands.
3. Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 2 to 2.5 inches on their chest.
4. Keeping your hands on their chest, release the compression and allow the chest to return to its original position.
5. Repeat these compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 times a minute until an ambulance arrives or you become exhausted.

1. Place the heel of your hand on the center of the person’s chest, then place the other hand on top and press down by 2 to 2.5 inches at a steady rate of 100 to 120 compressions a minute.
2. After every 30 chest compressions, give two rescue breaths.
3. Tilt the person’s head gently and lift the chin up with two fingers. Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth, and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about one second. Check that their chest rises. Give two rescue breaths.
4. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

An important note: The techniques for performing CPR are different for children. To learn more about how to perform CPR on a young child, head over to the Red Cross.

If you want to go one step further and swot up on your first aid knowledge in general, there are several you can choose from. The Red Cross does trainings across the country. The American Heart Association also offers a tool to help you find courses in your area.

In basic first aid training, you will usually be taught about CPR, unresponsive adults, head injuries, seizures and severe bleeding.

A version of this story originally appeared in HuffPost UK.