Category: Health & Safety

⚡ Understanding CPR & How to Use an AED

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, helps circulate blood when someone’s heart has stopped working effectively. An automated external defibrillator, or AED, analyzes the heart’s rhythm and delivers a shock when the device determines one is needed.

Immediate CPR and early AED use can help keep someone alive until emergency professionals arrive.

Recognize Cardiac Arrest

Suspect cardiac arrest if someone:

• Suddenly collapses
• Does not respond when you call their name and tap their shoulder
• Is not breathing
• Is only gasping
• Has abnormal, irregular, or occasional breaths
• Has no obvious signs of life

Gasping is not normal breathing.

Do not spend time trying to find a pulse unless you are trained and confident. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 911 and begin CPR.

Check the Scene First

Before approaching:

• Look for traffic.
• Check for fire or smoke.
• Watch for electrical hazards.
• Look for water, chemicals, or unstable structures.
• Do not enter an unsafe area.

You cannot help the person if you become injured too.

Call 911 and Get an AED

• Call 911 or direct a specific person to call.
• Put the phone on speaker.
• Send someone to retrieve an AED.
• Tell the dispatcher that the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
• Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
• Begin CPR immediately.

If you are alone with a phone, call 911 on speaker while beginning care.

Hands-Only CPR for a Teen or Adult

Hands-Only CPR is appropriate for a teen or adult whom you see suddenly collapse.

1. Place the person on their back on a firm, flat surface.
2. Kneel beside the chest.
3. Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest.
4. Place your other hand on top.
5. Keep your shoulders directly over your hands.
6. Keep your elbows straight.
7. Push hard and fast.
8. Allow the chest to rise fully after each compression.
9. Minimize interruptions.

Give compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. For an average adult, compress the chest at least two inches but avoid pushing deeper than approximately 2.4 inches.

The American Heart Association recommends Hands-Only CPR for bystanders who witness a teen or adult suddenly collapse. American Heart Association

If You Are Trained to Give Breaths

Conventional CPR uses:

• 30 chest compressions
• 2 rescue breaths
• Repeated cycles

Each breath should last approximately one second and cause the chest to rise.

Rescue breaths are especially important when cardiac arrest may be related to:

• Drowning
• Opioid overdose
• A breathing emergency
• Choking
• An infant or child
• Someone found already unresponsive rather than seen suddenly collapsing
• A prolonged period without normal breathing

If you are unable or unwilling to give breaths, continue chest compressions and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Continue CPR Until

• An AED tells you to pause.
• The person begins breathing normally or shows clear signs of life.
• Emergency responders take over.
• The scene becomes unsafe.
• You are physically unable to continue.

If another trained person is available, switch compressors approximately every two minutes or when tired. Keep the interruption as short as possible.

How to Use an AED

AEDs provide spoken and visual instructions. You do not need to decide whether the person requires a shock—the device analyzes the heart rhythm.

1. Turn on the AED.
2. Expose the person’s chest.
3. Dry the chest if it is wet.
4. Remove medication patches where a pad must be placed, using gloves if available.
5. Attach the pads exactly as shown on the diagrams.
6. Connect the pad cable if the device requires it.
7. Make sure no one is touching the person.
8. Allow the AED to analyze the heart rhythm.
9. Deliver a shock if instructed.
10. Immediately resume CPR when directed.
11. Continue following the AED’s prompts.

Do not remove the pads after a shock. Leave the AED connected until emergency professionals take over.

An AED will not deliver a shock unless it detects a shockable heart rhythm.

Make Sure Everyone Is Clear

Before the AED analyzes or delivers a shock:

• Say, “Clear.”
• Look from the person’s head to feet.
• Make sure no one is touching the person.
• Do not touch clothing, bedding, medical equipment, or a wet surface connected to the person.
• Press the shock button only when the AED directs you.

Some AEDs deliver a shock automatically. Follow the device’s instructions carefully.

Special AED Situations

Wet chest

Move the person away from standing water when safe and dry the chest before applying pads. Do not delay AED use simply because the person is sweaty.

Excessive chest hair

Apply the pads firmly. If they will not stick, use the AED kit’s razor if available or quickly remove hair using a spare pad if instructed by the device or your training.

Do not delay CPR and AED use unnecessarily.

Medication patches

If a patch is directly where an AED pad belongs, remove it using gloves or another barrier. Wipe the area before attaching the pad.

Pacemaker or implanted device

You may notice a firm lump beneath the skin near the upper chest. Do not place an AED pad directly over it. Position the pad slightly away while following the placement diagram.

Pregnancy

Use CPR and an AED normally. Pregnancy is not a reason to delay lifesaving care.

Using an AED on a Child or Infant

Use pediatric pads or the AED’s child setting for a child under age eight or weighing less than 55 pounds when they are available.

If pediatric pads are unavailable, use adult pads rather than delaying treatment.

• Follow the pad diagrams.
• Make sure the pads do not touch.
• If the pads would touch on the chest, place one on the chest and one on the back as shown in the device instructions.
• Follow the AED’s prompts and the 911 dispatcher’s directions.

CPR technique and compression depth differ for infants and children. Formal CPR training is strongly recommended for parents, caregivers, teachers, and anyone who regularly supervises children.

Never shake an infant or child to check responsiveness.

If an Opioid Overdose May Be Involved

If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally:

• Call 911.
• Begin CPR.
• Give naloxone if it is available.
• Use an AED when available.
• Give another naloxone dose after the product’s recommended interval if needed.
• Continue care until help arrives.

Naloxone does not replace CPR or emergency medical care.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting to see whether the person improves
• Mistaking gasping for normal breathing
• Spending too long checking for a pulse
• Giving compressions on a bed or soft couch
• Bending your elbows during compressions
• Compressing too slowly
• Failing to let the chest rise fully
• Stopping CPR for unnecessary checks
• Waiting for trained personnel before using an AED
• Touching the person during AED analysis
• Forgetting to resume CPR after a shock
• Removing AED pads after use
• Assuming an AED will shock everyone

It is better to begin CPR on someone who needs help than to delay because you are afraid of doing it imperfectly.

Prepare Before an Emergency

• Take an in-person CPR and AED course.
• Learn where AEDs are located at work, school, the gym, and community locations.
• Make sure household members know how to call 911.
• Keep naloxone available if opioid exposure is possible.
• Review CPR skills regularly.
• Check workplace or community AED readiness according to the program’s schedule.

AEDs are commonly found in schools, gyms, airports, shopping centers, offices, and public buildings. Look for the AED symbol and wall cabinet.

Quick CPR and AED Checklist

• Make sure the scene is safe.
• Check responsiveness and breathing.
• Call 911.
• Send someone for an AED.
• Begin chest compressions.
• Push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
• Aim for 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
• Use the AED as soon as it arrives.
• Make sure everyone is clear during analysis and shock.
• Resume CPR immediately when directed.
• Continue until the person recovers or emergency professionals take over.

Suggested Guides

• What to Do When Someone Is Unconscious
• Recognizing a Heart Attack or Stroke
• What to Do When Someone May Have Overdosed
• Responding to Serious Difficulty Breathing or an Asthma Attack
• What to Do When Someone Is Choking
• First Aid Basics: What Everyone Should Know

Important Health & Safety Notice

The information in this guide is provided for general educational purposes only. Independence Answers is not a medical provider, and this content is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or supervision. Always follow the instructions of your doctor, pharmacist, or other qualified healthcare professional, especially if you have a medical condition, take medication, or are unsure whether an action is safe for you.

Do not ignore or delay seeking professional care because of something you read here. If you believe someone may be experiencing a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.