A heart which has stopped beating can sometimes be made to start again by a
technique called chest compression.
Adults
Giving Chest Compression to an Adult
- Give two breaths of mouth-to-mouth ventilation (see Absence of Breathing).
- Place the heel of one of your hands two fingers' width above the junction of the ribs and the breastbone.
- Place the other hand on top and interlock the fingers. Keeping your arms straight and your fingers off the chest, press down about 4 to 5 cm (around 2 inches), then release the pressure, keeping your hands in place.
- Repeat the compressions 15 times, aiming at a rate of 80 per minute.
