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  1. 2025 Guidelines Update for CPR and First Aid for Adults

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Show full transcript for 2025 Guidelines Update for CPR and First Aid for Adults video

In this lesson, we'll go over the most important updates from the 2025 American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for lay rescuers — that means everyday people like you who may need to help in an emergency.

The goal of these updates is simple: help more people survive cardiac arrest by acting fast. When someone's heart stops, every second counts. The 2025 guidelines focus on making CPR easier to do, reducing delays, and encouraging more people to step in and help.

Starting CPR in Adults

When an adult collapses and is unresponsive, the most important thing you can do is start CPR right away. If you know how to give rescue breaths, you should give both compressions and breaths. But if you're not comfortable giving breaths, don't let that stop you — hands-only CPR is still much better than doing nothing at all.

Start CPR where the person is. Moving them wastes valuable time. Lay them on their back on a hard, flat surface — a firm surface helps your compressions work better. Try to kneel beside them so their chest is about level with your knees, as this helps you push down with the right amount of force. You can also try placing the hand closest to their head on the center of their chest first, as this may help improve the quality of your compressions.

Pro Tip #1: Don't wait. Don't move them unless you absolutely have to. Just get down and start compressions as soon as possible.

Using an AED on Female Patients

An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a device that can reset the heart with an electric shock. One barrier that has been identified is that people sometimes hesitate to use an AED on a woman because they feel uncomfortable exposing her chest.

The 2025 guidelines want to clear this up: you do not need to fully remove clothing to use an AED. Simply move clothing or undergarments aside to place the pads directly on the skin. The pads don't have to be in the perfect spot to work. Getting the AED on quickly and delivering a shock is what matters most. Always prioritize speed while being respectful of the patient's dignity.

Helping Someone Who Is Choking

If an adult is conscious and choking — meaning something is stuck in their airway and they cannot breathe, cough, or speak — here is what to do. Give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades, then follow with 5 abdominal thrusts. Keep repeating this cycle until the object comes out or the person goes unconscious.

Research shows that back blows can be more effective and safer than abdominal thrusts alone, which is why this combination approach is now recommended.

If the person is pregnant or if abdominal thrusts are not possible for any reason, use chest thrusts instead.

Cardiac Arrest After Drowning

If someone has gone into cardiac arrest after drowning, start CPR with breaths before reaching for an AED. Drowning cuts off oxygen to the body, so getting air into the lungs is the first priority. An AED is less likely to help initially in these cases because the heart rhythm involved in drowning emergencies is usually not one that can be shocked back to normal.

Eye Injuries with an Embedded Object

If something is stuck in a person's eye, cover only the injured eye — not both. Covering both eyes can make the person feel panicked and disoriented. Keeping the uninjured eye uncovered helps them stay calm and aware of what's happening around them, while still preventing further injury to the injured eye.

Caring for Someone in Shock

If someone is showing signs of shock — such as pale or clammy skin, weakness, or dizziness — but is still awake and alert, have them lie flat on their back.

If they seem drowsy, are vomiting, or you can't keep a close eye on them, roll them onto their side instead. This is called the recovery position, and it helps keep their airway clear.

Pro Tip #2: If the person fainted or is dehydrated but has no injuries, some studies suggest that gently raising their feet 6 to 12 inches may help in the short term to improve blood flow. This is not always recommended, but it may be worth trying in the right situation. Just keep in mind that our priority should be keeping them warm, on the ground and making sure to keep their airway clear and monitor for CPR if needed.

A Unified Chain of Survival

The 2025 guidelines now use one Chain of Survival for everyone — infants, children, and adults. Think of it as a step-by-step path to survival: recognize the emergency, call for help, start CPR, use an AED, and keep going until professional help arrives. Each link in that chain matters, and you are one of those links.

Closing Thoughts

The message behind all of these updates is simple: act fast, do your best, and don't be afraid to help. You don't have to be a medical professional to save a life. CPR doesn't have to be perfect — it just has to happen. The more confident and informed you are, the more of a difference you can make.