| Characteristic/Component | Adult/Adolescent | Child (1 Year to Puberty) | Infant (Less than 1 Year Old, Excluding Newborns) |
| Scene Safety | Make sure the scene is safe for rescuers and patients. | ||
| Recognition of Cardiac Arrest | Check for patient responsiveness. No breathing or only gasping (i.e., no normal breathing). No definite pulse within 10 seconds. Breathing and pulse check performed simultaneously for 10 seconds. | ||
| Activation of the EMS System | If alone with no mobile phone, leave the patient to activate the EMS system and get an AED before beginning CPR.
Otherwise, have someone call and begin CPR immediately; use the AED when it becomes available. |
If alone and you witnessed the collapse: Follow adult/adolescent protocol.
If alone and you did not witnessed the collapse: Give 2 minutes of CPR, then leave the patient to activate the EMS system and get an AED. Return to the patient and resume CPR. Otherwise, have someone call and begin CPR immediately; use the AED when it becomes available. |
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| Compression-Ventilation Ratio without Advanced Airway | 1 or 2 or more rescuers: 30:2 | 1 rescuer: 30:2
2 or more rescuers: 15:2 |
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| Compression-Ventilation Ratio with Advanced Airway | Continuous chest compressions at a rate of 100–120/min. Continuous ventilations at a rate of 1 breath every 6 seconds (10 breaths/min) | ||
| Compression Rate | 100–120/min | ||
| Compression Depth | At least 2 inches (5 cm) and no deeper than 2.4 inches (6 cm). | At least one-third depth of the chest (about 2 inches or 5 cm) | At least one-third depth of the chest (about 1½ inches or 4 cm) |
| Hand Placement | 2 hands on the lower half of the breastbone. | 2 hands (or 1 hand optional for very small child) on lower half of the breastbone. | 1 rescuer: 2 fingers in the center of the chest just below the nipple line.2 or more rescuers: 2 thumb-encircling hands in the center of the chest just below the nipple line. |
| Chest Recoil | Allow full recoil of the chest after each compression; do not lean on the chest. | ||
| Interruptions | Limit interruptions in chest compressions to less than 10 seconds. | ||
Source: American Heart Association 2015 ECC Guidelines
