Save more lives in your communities: Learn hands-only CPR
Hands-Only CPR (without mouth-to-mouth breathing) provided by a bystander is as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest in teenagers and adults at home, at work, or in public if performed in the first few minutes after sudden cardiac arrest. About 90% of people who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. CPR, if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
See the Hands-Only CPR Fact Sheet (PDF)
Here are some surprising facts:
- About 1 in 10 people who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survive.
- Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time.
- Many people appear healthy, with no known heart disease or other risk factors.
- African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are less likely to receive CPR and survive hospital discharge.
- Both Mexican Americans and white women are less likely than men to arrive at the hospital within three hours of sudden cardiac arrest.
Visit heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR to watch the Hands-Only CPR instructional video and share it with the important people in your life.
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You can save a life.
The 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care emphasize prompt action by bystanders to begin CPR and training for all.
