Hands-Only CPR

Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or Chest compressions alone are as effective as chest compressions with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.  According to a studies in Sweden and Washington State the breathing component of CPR is only necessary for those who have respiratory problems, suffer drowning and children. Removing the mouth-to-mouth component of CPR may overcome some of the fears of bystander who are reluctant to initiate CPR because of the fear of infectious disease.

The American Heart Association (AHA) released a statement that states that Hands-Only CPR is a potentially lifesaving option to be used by people not trained in conventional CPR or those who are unsure of their ability to give the combination of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing it requires.  “Bystanders who witness the sudden collapse of an adult should immediately call 9-1-1 and start what we call Hands-Only CPR. This involves providing high-quality chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim’s chest, without stopping until emergency medical services (EMS) responders arrive,” said Michael Sayre, M.D., chair of the statement writing committee and associate professor in the Ohio State University Department of Emergency Medicine in Columbus.

Sources state that communities that are using the hands-only approach are already seeing a dramatic increase in survival. AHA statistics show that 310,000 coronary heart disease deaths occur out-of-hospital or in emergency departments each year in the United States. Of those deaths, about 166,200 are due to sudden cardiac arrest (nearly 450 per day). Without immediate, effective CPR from a bystander, a person’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest decreases 7 percent to 10 percent per minute. Unfortunately, on average, less than one-third of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR, which can double or triple a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. By using Hands-Only CPR, bystanders can still act to improve the odds of survival, whether they are trained in conventional CPR or not, Sayre said.


It is believed that in those who suffer a heart attack, their blood contains several minutes worth of oxygen. Therefore, stopping to provide a breath may reduce blood flow significantly. Continuous blood flow (although not maximally oxygenated) is probably much better in terms of helping to restore spontaneous circulation.

A study conducted at the University of Washington found no statistical significance in the survival rate between those receiving hands-only CPR and those who receive conventional CPR.

The public is still encouraged to obtain conventional CPR training, where they will learn the skills needed to perform Hands-Only CPR, as well as the additional skills needed to care for a wide range of cardiovascular- and respiratory-related medical emergencies, especially for infants and children.

The new statement is intended to increase how often bystander CPR is performed. It emphasizes the importance of “high-quality” chest compressions — deep compressions that allow for full chest recoil, at a rate of about 100 per minute — with minimal interruptions.