Learn Hands-Only CPR in 60 Seconds

women reading Hands-Only CPR Kit box

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with nearly 400,000 out-of-hospital cases occurring every year in the United States. About 89% of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die.

Research shows Hands-Only CPR (without mouth-to-mouth breaths) performed by a bystander is just as effective in the first few minutes of sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.

"Stayin' Alive" in Two Easy Steps

No matter where you are, if you witness a teen or an adult suddenly collapse, you need to act fast — a  delay of just a few minutes could be the difference between life and death. So check out this video from the American Heart Association, and remember these two easy steps:

  1. Call 911, or have someone else call immediately and keep your phone on speaker mode

  2. Push down hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute
    • A song like Bee Gees’ disco hit “Stayin’ Alive” can help you keep pace

Hopefully, you’ll never have to use Hands-Only CPR, but in the event of an emergency, your preparedness could save a life. Learn more about Hands-Only CPR.

Learn how to perform CPR in this 60-second video showing Hands-Only CPR in action. 

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff.