You Can Save Lives With CPR Using Only Your Hands: 'You Don't Have To Talk From Your Mouth Anymore'

New York cardiologist Holly Andersen explains how to use this simple technique that doubles the chances of surviving a heart attack: "Anyone can save a life," Andersen told news.

Dr. Holly Andersen is a long-time cardiologist with a mission to spread information about the effectiveness of hand-only CPR, which she believes is an easy-to-learn, life-saving option for someone having a sudden cardiac arrest.

"Throughout my career, I've been disappointed that the smallest outcome of saving a life is saving victims of sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital, but 92% die before they reach the hospital because people do not know what to do with them," said Andersen, director of education. and the workforce at the Ronald O. Perelman Institute of Heart Disease at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.- And what to do is very simple.

Andersen wants everyone to learn about CPR with their own hands. "Everyone needs to know how to save lives. Anyone can save a life," he said. "You don't have to be certified. You don't have to do word of mouth anymore."

At Handsonly.org, Andersen and colleagues at New York-Presbyterian create easy-to-follow instructional videos and written guides on how to perform hands-only CPR.

Andersen says check someone for signs of life first - pat them on the shoulder to see if they're breathing. If there are no signs of breathing or the person is not responding, call 911 immediately for help or have someone else call.

Lie on your back, then kneel beside him, place one hand on top of the other, intertwine your fingers and use your palms to press down on the center of the sternum, give two compressions per second, he says: and repeat this speed until the arrival of emergency services.

"Start with chest compressions, hard and fast," Andersen says, about 100 to 120 times per minute in the center of the chest, pressing about two inches. This, he says, will help keep blood and oxygen flowing while you wait for help to arrive.

Handsonly.org has a playlist of songs to help Good Samaritans quickly repeat compressions, such as "Stayin Alive" or "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga.