Hands-Only CPR

Hands-Only CPR is CPR without rescue breaths. If you see a teen or adult collapse, you can perform Hands-Only CPR with just two easy steps:

1. Call 911 and
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the Bee Gees’ classic disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” The song is 100 beats per minute – the minimum rate you should push on the chest during HandsOnly CPR.

With 70 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening at home, if you’re called on to perform Hands-Only CPR, you’ll likely be trying to save the life of someone you know and love. Hands-Only CPR carried out by a bystander has been shown to be as effective as CPR with breaths in the first few minutes during an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest for an adult victim.

Yes. Most Americans (70 percent) feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they don’t know how to administer CPR or they’re afraid of hurting the victim. According to the American Heart Association, people are more likely to remember the correct pace when trained to the beat of the disco classic “Stayin’ Alive" or another familiar song with 100 to 120 beats per minute – the rate you should push on the chest during CPR. HANDS-ONLY CPR CAMPAIGN

The American Heart Association’s CPR and First Aid business launched a campaign in 2012 to raise awareness of Hands-Only CPR as a lifesaving method and to increase the likelihood of people to perform CPR in an emergency. For the past four years, the American Heart Association, with financial support from the Anthem Foundation, has been working to educate millions of Americans about Hands-Only CPR.

Visit heart.org/handsonlycpr (or heart.org/rcp for Spanish resources) and watch a one-minute training video, which provides an easy-to-learn way of performing Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ classic disco song, “Stayin’ Alive.” Or, airport travelers in five hubs across the country can have the opportunity to learn and practice at a special Hands-Only CPR kiosk. The kiosk demo takes less than five minutes, including one practice session.

Anyone can learn Hands-Only CPR and save a life. Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps: If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, 

1. Call 9-1-1 and
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” 

American Heart Association FAQ: Hands-Only CPR