Learning Center / CPR & AED Guide

Adult CPR & AED Basics

This educational content was last updated in September 2026 using publicly available CPR and ECC resources. It has not been reviewed or endorsed by the American Heart Association.

Scene safety

Before you approach someone who has collapsed, check that the scene is safe for you and for them. Traffic, electrical hazards, fire, unstable structures, or violence can all put a would-be rescuer at risk. You cannot help safely if you become a second victim.

Recognizing possible cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively. Someone in cardiac arrest is unresponsive and is not breathing normally — they may be silent, or only making occasional gasping sounds. Gasping is not normal breathing; it is a common early sign of cardiac arrest, not a sign the person is okay.

Activating 911

Call 911 yourself, or point directly at a specific bystander and tell them to call. If you have a mobile phone, put it on speaker so both your hands are free and the dispatcher can coach you in real time — including walking you through CPR itself if you have never done it before. Send someone to find an AED at the same time compressions begin; do not wait for one to arrive before starting.

Hands-Only CPR

For a teen or adult who suddenly collapses, Hands-Only CPR — chest compressions without rescue breaths — is a simple response most people can learn. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Hands-Only CPR is not the universal approach for every situation: rescue breaths remain important for infants and children, and for arrests caused by a breathing problem such as drowning or an overdose. See special circumstances below.

Rate, depth, and recoil

Minimizing pauses

Keep interruptions in compressions as short as possible. Long pauses reduce blood flow to the brain and heart. Pause only when necessary — for example, while an AED analyzes the heart rhythm — and resume promptly.

Getting and using an AED

Use an AED as soon as one is available. Turn it on and follow its spoken or visual prompts: expose the chest, attach the pads where shown, and let the device analyze the rhythm. Make sure no one is touching the person while it analyzes or delivers a shock — say "clear" and look to confirm. After a shock, or if the AED says no shock is advised, resume chest compressions promptly and keep following the device's prompts.

Special circumstances

• Wet chest or standing water: quickly wipe the chest dry, and move the person off standing water if you can do so safely, before attaching AED pads.
• A medication patch on the chest: remove it before placing a pad in that spot, using a gloved hand if available.
• Infants and children: conventional CPR with rescue breaths is important, and technique differs from adult CPR. This guide covers adults only — formal training covers infant and child CPR in full.
• Drowning, overdose, or other breathing-related arrests: rescue breaths matter more in these situations than in a sudden collapse. Formal training covers when and how to add them.

What formal training adds

This guide and the quiz are educational, not a substitute for hands-on practice. A certified class adds supervised hands-on practice with feedback on your technique, training on infant and child CPR, choking response, rescue breaths, and a certification card if you need one for work or volunteering. See Brandon Rescue's CPR & first aid classes.

Common questions

Next step

Ready to check what you remember? Take the free 12-question knowledge check, or get the AHA quick reference to keep handy.

Sources

This guide paraphrases publicly available guidance rather than quoting it. For the full, current detail, see:

• American Heart Association – CPR & ECC
• American Red Cross – CPR

Found something that looks wrong or out of date? Email info@brandonrescue.org and describe what you found.