CPR for adults and children follows the same core idea—hard, fast chest compressions with minimal pauses—but the technique changes with age and size to avoid injury and be effective.

This is only a quick guide. Always follow local emergency protocols and take an accredited first-aid/CPR course.

First: make sure it’s safe

  • Check for danger (traffic, fire, electricity, collapsing structure). Do not put yourself at risk.
  • Check response: tap the person and shout (“Are you OK?”).
  • If no response, shout for help and have someone call your local emergency number (e.g., 911) and get an AED if available.
  • Place the person on their back on a firm, flat surface.

If you are alone with a known child collapse (non‑sudden, e.g., found after breathing trouble), you usually give about 2 minutes of CPR before leaving to call for help if you must choose.

Adult CPR (roughly 12 years and older)

1. Open airway and check breathing

  • Tilt the head back slightly and lift the chin (head‑tilt, chin‑lift).
  • Look, listen, and feel for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds.
  • Occasional gasps (agonal breaths) do not count as normal breathing.

If not breathing normally, start CPR.

2. Chest compressions (adult)

  • Kneel beside the chest.
  • Hand position: heel of one hand in the center of the chest on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum), second hand on top, fingers off the ribs.
  • Lock your elbows, keep shoulders over your hands, and push straight down.
  • Depth: at least 5 cm (about 2 inches) but not more than 6 cm.
  • Rate: 100–120 compressions per minute (a bit faster than one per second).
  • Let the chest fully recoil after each compression; do not lean on the chest.

Do 30 compressions.

3. Rescue breaths (adult)

  • After 30 compressions, open the airway again with head‑tilt, chin‑lift.
  • Pinch the nose closed.
  • Seal your mouth over the person’s mouth.
  • Give 1 steady breath over about 1 second, just enough to make the chest rise.
  • Let the chest fall, then give a second breath.

If the chest does not rise, re‑tilt the head and try again; if still no rise, suspect airway blockage and continue CPR.

4. Continue cycles

  • Keep doing cycles of 30 compressions to 2 breaths (30:2).
  • Minimize interruptions in compressions.
  • Continue until:
    • The person shows signs of life (moving, breathing).
* Another trained person takes over.

* Emergency services tell you to stop or you are physically unable to continue.

If you cannot or will not give breaths, give hands‑only CPR : continuous compressions at 100–120/min, center of the chest, until help arrives.

Child CPR (about 1 year to puberty)

The sequence is similar, but force and hand placement adjust to a smaller chest.

1. Airway and breathing (child)

  • Same head‑tilt, chin‑lift; be slightly gentler but still open the airway.
  • Check for normal breathing for up to 10 seconds.

If not breathing normally, give 5 initial rescue breaths first in some guidelines, then continue with cycles of compressions and breaths (follow local guidance if you’ve been trained).

2. Chest compressions (child)

  • Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest on the lower half of the breastbone.
  • If the child is large and you cannot achieve adequate depth with one hand, you may use two hands as with an adult, but with controlled force.
  • Depth: about one‑third of the chest’s front‑to‑back diameter (roughly 5 cm for many children).
  • Rate: 100–120 per minute.
  • Let the chest fully recoil each time.

Do 30 compressions if you are alone. If there are two trained rescuers, some pediatric protocols use 15:2, but layperson guidance commonly keeps 30:2 for simplicity.

3. Rescue breaths (child)

  • Open airway with head‑tilt, chin‑lift.
  • Seal your mouth over the child’s mouth (and nose if small, as needed to get a good seal).
  • Give 1 gentle breath over 1 second; watch for chest rise.
  • Give 2 breaths after every 30 compressions.

Avoid over‑inflating; children’s lungs are smaller and you only need enough air to make the chest rise.

4. Continue cycles

  • Continue 30:2, limiting pauses between compressions and breaths.
  • If alone and you hadn’t called for help yet, many pediatric recommendations say: give about 2 minutes of CPR, then quickly call for help if no one has done so.

Adults vs children: key differences

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Aspect Adult CPR Child CPR
Age group Puberty and older.About 1 year to puberty.
Hand position Two hands, heel of hand in center of chest on lower half of sternum.One hand in center of chest (two hands if needed for larger child).
Compression depth At least 5 cm, not more than 6 cm.About one‑third chest depth, roughly 5 cm.
Rate 100–120/min.100–120/min.
Typical ratio 30 compressions : 2 breaths.30:2 for single rescuer; 15:2 sometimes used with two trained rescuers.
Breath strength Full breath, just enough to see chest rise.Smaller, gentler breaths to just make chest rise.
Call for help timing Call immediately when you find unresponsive adult not breathing normally.If alone and collapse likely from breathing cause, may give about 2 minutes CPR before leaving to call.
Hands‑only option Supported for untrained or unwilling rescuers (continuous compressions only).Hands‑only may be less effective for children because breathing problems are a common cause.

Simple memory aids and real‑life feel

  • Many courses teach a “DRSABCD” sequence: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation.
  • For rate, think of a steady beat around 100–120/min (often likened to certain song tempos, though official advice focuses on the numeric rate).
  • In real life, ribs may crack in adults when compressions are deep enough; unpleasant but expected—keep going unless you encounter clear signs to stop.

Imagine you see an adult collapse in a shopping mall: you quickly scan for danger, shout for someone to call emergency services and grab the AED, kneel, start hard, fast compressions in the center of the chest, and only pause briefly to give two breaths, repeating the cycle until professionals take over.

Important cautions

  • Do not practice full‑force compressions on healthy people; use manikins and supervised classes.
  • CPR guidance is updated periodically; organizations such as the American Heart Association, Red Cross, and national health services publish the latest recommendations.
  • The best preparation is a formal CPR course with hands‑on practice and local protocol training.

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