Differences CPR for Lay Rescuers and Healthcare Providers

CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is performed when someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped, as in cases of electric shock, drowning, or heart attack. It is a combination of recue breathing and chest compressions. And of course it is best performed by trained person in and accredited CPR course.

When you find an unconscious person who is not breathing in the field, you should deal with him as soon as possible not more than 4 minutes. The reason is permanent brain damage begins after only 4 minutes. It is a golden periode. Wether you are lay person or healthcare person, you shoud deal with him. Part of Basic and Advanced Life Support is CPR. I don't explain algorythm of Basic and Advanced Life Support here.

Now I am going to post the differences in CPR for lay rescuers and healthcare provider as follow here:


Lay rescuers should immediately begin cycles of chest compression and ventilation after delivering 2 rescue breaths for an unresponsive victim. They are not trained to assess for pulse or signs or circulation for an unresponsive victim.

Lay rescuer will not be trained how to provide rescue breathing without chest compression.

For sudden collapse in victims of all ages, the lone healthcare provider should telephone the emergency number and get an AED then return to the victim to begin CPR and use AED.

For unresponsive victims of all age the lone healthcare provider should deliver about 5 cycles (2 minues) of CPR before leaving the victim to call emergency number and get AED then return to the victim and begin CPR and use AED.

Healthcare providers should attempt to feel a pulse after delivery of 2 rescue breathing in the unresponsive and non breathing victim not more than 10 second. If the provider does not definitely feel a pulse within 10 seconds, provider should begins cycles of chest compression and ventilation.

Healthcare providers are trained to deliver rescue breaths without chest compression for the respiratory arrest victim. Rescue breaths without chest compressions should be delivered about 10-12 breaths per minute for adult and 12-20 per minute for infant and child.

Healthcare providers should deliver cycles of compression and ventilation during CPR even there is no advanced airway in place. When the advanced airway is in place for infant, child, or adult victims, 2 rescuers no longer deliver "cycles" of compression interrupted with pasuses for ventilation. Instead the compression should deliver 100 compression per minute continuously without pauses for ventilation. Ventilation shoud be given 8 - 10 breaths per minute and should be careful to avoid delivering an excessive number of ventilation. Two rescuers should change compressor and ventilator roles every 2 minues to prevent fatique and deterioratin of quality and rate of chest compression. Or when rescuers more than two rescuers, they should rotate the compressor role every 2 minutes. And the switch should be performed as quickly as possible to minimize interruption in chest compression.

source: American Heart Association journal or you can see here for detail.