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CPR and Choking

Push hard, push fast, and clear a blocked airway

7 minIntermediateUpdated 2026-10-23 CPR and Choking

You will learn

Give adult chest compressions at the right rate, depth and position
Know when to use hands-only CPR and how to use an AED
Help a choking adult with back blows and abdominal thrusts

⚠️ Never practise chest compressions, back blows or abdominal thrusts on a real person. Use a manikin on a course.

⚠️ Always call your local emergency number (112 in Europe) before or while starting CPR.

⚠️ Babies and small children need different techniques. Take a paediatric first-aid course.

When the heart stops

If an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally, their heart has probably stopped. Without help, the brain starts to die within minutes, and CPR is what buys time. Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe) first, put the phone on speaker, and ask someone to find an AED if there is any chance one is nearby. Then start compressions immediately. Do not worry about hurting them. A person in cardiac arrest is already as badly off as a person can be, and any CPR is far better than none.

Compressions: hard and fast

Kneel beside them. Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone, and the other hand on top with fingers interlocked. Keep your arms straight and shoulders directly over your hands. Push down 5 to 6 cm, then let the chest rise fully. Aim for 100 to 120 compressions a minute, roughly the beat of the song "Stayin' Alive". If you are trained, give 30 compressions then 2 rescue breaths, and repeat. If you are untrained or unwilling to give breaths, do hands-only CPR: continuous compressions without stopping. Swap with another person every two minutes if you can, because good compressions are exhausting.

💡 Count out loud. It keeps your rhythm steady and tells helpers when to swap.

Using an AED

An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a box that can restart a heart in the right rhythm. It is designed for the public, and it talks you through every step. Switch it on and follow the voice. Stick the pads to the bare chest exactly as the pictures show, one below the right collarbone and one on the left side below the armpit. When it says to stand clear, make sure nobody is touching the person. If it advises a shock, press the button. Then carry straight on with CPR until it tells you to stop. It only advises a shock when it detects a rhythm that needs one.

Choking adults, and why infants differ

If an adult can cough, encourage them to keep coughing. If they cannot cough, speak or breathe, act. Stand to the side, lean them forward and give up to 5 sharp back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If that fails, stand behind them, make a fist just above the belly button, grab it with your other hand and pull sharply in and up, up to 5 times. Alternate 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts. If they become unresponsive, call for help and start CPR. Anyone who has had abdominal thrusts must see a doctor afterwards. Infants and small children need different techniques, and abdominal thrusts are never used on babies. A paediatric first-aid course teaches these properly.

💡 Never practise real back blows or abdominal thrusts on a person. Mime the positions only.