Best CPR Methods for Real Emergency Response

When somebody collapses, the best CPR methods are the ones you can begin promptly, deliver correctly and continue until emergency help takes over. In a workplace, school, care setting or community venue, that depends on people having the confidence to recognise cardiac arrest and follow a clear, practised sequence.

CPR is not a replacement for professional medical care. It is an emergency intervention that keeps blood moving to the brain and vital organs while an ambulance is on its way. Early recognition, an emergency call, effective chest compressions and access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) can make a critical difference.

The best CPR methods start with recognising cardiac arrest

A person in cardiac arrest is unresponsive and not breathing normally. They may make occasional gasping, snoring or irregular breaths. These are known as agonal breaths and should not be mistaken for normal breathing.

First, make sure it is safe to approach. Check for a response by speaking loudly and gently shaking the person’s shoulders. If there is no response, shout for help, open their airway and check breathing for no more than 10 seconds.

If they are not breathing normally, ask someone to call 999 and bring an AED if one is available. If you are alone, make the call yourself on speakerphone so you can start CPR without delay. The emergency call handler can provide instructions while help is on its way.

Do not spend time looking for a pulse unless you have been specifically trained and are confident in doing so. For most workplace first aiders and members of the public, an unresponsive person who is not breathing normally should be treated as being in cardiac arrest.

Adult CPR: effective compressions come first

For an adult, place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone. Put your other hand on top, interlock your fingers and keep your arms straight. Position your shoulders directly over your hands.

Press down firmly and smoothly to a depth of 5 to 6 cm, then allow the chest to rise fully before the next compression. Aim for a rate of 100 to 120 compressions a minute. A useful guide is a steady, purposeful rhythm rather than rushing and losing depth or control.

If you are trained and able to give rescue breaths, give 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths. Open the airway using a head tilt and chin lift, pinch the nose, make a seal over the mouth and blow steadily for around one second. Watch for the chest to rise before giving the second breath.

Continue with cycles of 30 compressions and two breaths. If you are unable or unwilling to give rescue breaths, hands-only CPR is far better than doing nothing. Keep giving continuous chest compressions until the person shows signs of life, an AED is ready to use, emergency services take over or you are physically unable to continue.

Good compressions are tiring. Where two or more trained people are present, swap the person doing compressions roughly every two minutes, keeping any pause as short as possible. Clear communication helps: nominate one person to lead, one to call 999 and meet the ambulance crew, and another to collect the AED or first aid equipment.

Why rescue breaths still matter

Hands-only CPR is an appropriate response for an adult who has collapsed suddenly, particularly if a bystander has not had practical training. It reduces hesitation and gets compressions started quickly.

However, rescue breaths remain especially important where the cause of collapse may be a lack of oxygen. This includes drowning, choking after the obstruction has been cleared, overdose, smoke inhalation, severe asthma and many cardiac arrests involving children and babies. A trained first aider should use rescue breaths where it is safe and possible to do so.

Using a pocket mask or face shield can make rescue breathing more hygienic and may increase confidence. Workplace first aid provision should consider whether suitable barriers are available alongside other essential equipment, but a lack of equipment should not prevent someone from starting chest compressions.

CPR for children and babies needs a different approach

Children and babies can suffer cardiac arrest for different reasons from adults, often following breathing problems. This is why five initial rescue breaths are recommended for a child or baby who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

After the initial breaths, begin CPR using 30 compressions followed by two breaths if you are a lone rescuer. If two trained rescuers are present, they may use 15 compressions followed by two breaths. Compressions should reach at least one third of the chest depth - approximately 5 cm for a child and 4 cm for a baby - while allowing full recoil.

For a child, use one or two hands in the centre of the chest, depending on their size and your ability to achieve the correct depth. For a baby, use two fingers in the centre of the chest if you are alone. Where two trained rescuers are present, the two-thumb encircling technique may be used.

If you are alone with a child or baby and have no phone immediately available, give around one minute of CPR before leaving briefly to call 999 and find help. If possible, take the child or baby with you. Situations can vary, so follow the advice of the emergency call handler whenever you can.

These differences are one reason paediatric first aid training is valuable for nursery teams, schools, childminders, sports groups and parents. Adult CPR knowledge provides a useful foundation, but practical paediatric training helps people adapt their technique safely and calmly.

Use an AED as soon as it arrives

An AED is designed to be used by ordinary people, not only clinicians. It gives clear voice or visual prompts and assesses the person’s heart rhythm to determine whether a shock is advised. You cannot accidentally deliver a shock when the AED has not recommended one.

As soon as the AED arrives, switch it on and follow its instructions. Expose and dry the chest if needed, attach the pads exactly as shown on the pictures, and make sure nobody is touching the person while the device analyses. If a shock is advised, make sure everybody stands clear before pressing the button when instructed.

Resume CPR immediately after a shock, or immediately if the AED says no shock is advised. Do not wait for signs of recovery before restarting compressions. The AED will tell you when to pause for another analysis.

For children, check whether the AED has paediatric pads or a paediatric setting. If these are not available, an adult AED can still be used in an emergency. Follow the device prompts and avoid placing pads so that they touch or overlap.

What workplaces should prepare before an emergency

CPR is more likely to be effective when the response has been planned before an incident happens. Employers should complete a suitable first aid needs assessment, considering the size of the team, shift patterns, workplace hazards, visitors, remote workers and how quickly emergency services can reach the site.

A first aid kit alone is not enough. Staff need to know who the trained first aiders are, how to call for help, where the AED is located and who will meet emergency services at the entrance. In large premises, clear AED signage and brief instructions at reception or in communal areas can save valuable time.

Training should also be refreshed. Skills such as compression depth, hand position and using an AED are practical skills, and confidence can fade if they are not revisited. An annual refresher is a sensible way to reinforce core CPR technique between formal first aid qualifications or requalification courses.

For organisations across mainland UK, on-site practical training can make this easier to organise. It allows teams to practise together, discuss their own emergency arrangements and build a shared response that suits the workplace rather than relying on theory alone.

The technique matters, but action matters too

CPR can feel daunting because the stakes are high and the situation is unfamiliar. It is normal to worry about doing something wrong. Yet delaying action is usually the greater risk when someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

Start the emergency call, begin chest compressions, use the AED when it arrives and keep going until help takes over. Regular, hands-on training gives people more than a certificate: it gives them a practical response they can draw on when another person needs them most.