CPR

Hands-Only CPR is just two steps. You could save a life before help arrives.

What is CPR?

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. When someone’s heart suddenly stops beating (called cardiac arrest), CPR keeps blood and oxygen moving to the brain until help arrives.

Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths. It’s recommended for anyone who sees a teen or adult suddenly collapse. You don’t need a certificate to do it, and Texas law protects people who help in an emergency in good faith.

Why it matters

Out here, help can take a few extra minutes to arrive. In cardiac arrest, every minute counts. A bystander who starts CPR right away can be the difference between life and death.

Several of us on the team have family members who have had heart attacks. Learning CPR is one of the most useful things anyone, of any age, can do for their family and community.

Quick facts

More than 350,000 people in the U.S. have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year.
About 7 in 10 of these happen at home, so the life you save is likely someone you love.
Starting CPR right away can double or even triple a person's chance of survival.
Hands-Only CPR has just two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
An AED (automated external defibrillator) talks you through every step. You can't hurt someone by using one.

Know the signs of cardiac arrest

The person suddenly collapses.
They don't respond when you tap them and shout.
They aren't breathing, or they are only gasping.

A heart attack is different. Warning signs include chest pain or pressure; pain in the arm, back, neck, or jaw; shortness of breath; a cold sweat; or nausea. Call 911 for these too.

What you can do today

Watch a free 90-second Hands-Only CPR video from the American Heart Association (link below).
Learn the beat: push at 100 to 120 times a minute, the speed of the song "Stayin' Alive."
Find out where the AEDs are at your school, church, and workplace.
Sign up for a CPR class (see our Get Help page for class finders).
Teach someone at home what you learned.

How to do Hands-Only CPR (teens and adults)

Step 1: Call 911 (or have someone else call) and send someone to get an AED if there is one.
Step 2: Push hard and fast in the center of the chest, about 2 inches deep, 100 to 120 times a minute.
Keep pushing until help arrives or an AED is ready to use.
If an AED arrives, turn it on and follow the voice instructions.
Hands-Only CPR is for teens and adults. Babies and young children need a different method, which you can learn in a class.

Always call 911 first. The 911 operator can talk you through CPR until help arrives.

From trusted health sites

Up-to-date info about cpr from U.S. government health websites.

Helpful links

Hand-picked pages from trusted health organizations.

Printed from https://chshealthcare.org/topics/cpr/ · Know Your Health, Clyde · Clyde High School CmPS 2026–27

CPR