The correct area for chest thrusts is the center of the chest on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum) , avoiding the very bottom tip of the sternum and not over the ribs.

Exact spot on the chest

  • Place your fist or the heel of your hand on the center of the chest, over the breastbone, not to the left over the ribs.
  • The contact point should be on the lower half of the sternum , but not on the soft area just below it (the upper abdomen) and not on the xiphoid (the small tip at the very bottom of the sternum).

For choking chest thrusts (adults)

  • When giving chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts (for example, for someone who is pregnant, obese, or in a wheelchair), place your fist in the center of the chest on the lower half of the sternum and pull straight back with quick inward thrusts.
  • Thrusts should be sharp, inward toward the spine, and repeated until the obstruction is relieved or the person becomes unresponsive.

For infants

  • For infants, chest thrusts are done with two fingers placed on the bottom half of the breastbone , again in the center of the chest.
  • The fingers press straight down on the sternum with quick thrusts, with the infant’s head lower than the chest to help expel the object.

Safety points

  • Do not place hands or fists over the ribs, to one side of the chest, or over the soft upper abdomen, as this can cause injury and is less effective.
  • If the person becomes unresponsive at any point, start CPR following standard compression hand placement in the center of the chest on the sternum.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.