CPR: What to Do in the First 5 Minutes When Someone Collapses

It rarely happens in a hospital. It happens at a family dinner, on a morning walk, in an office corridor, or on a crowded bus. One moment a person is talking, and the next they’ve crumpled to the ground, unresponsive. In that moment, the people standing around them are usually not doctors. They’re relatives, colleagues, neighbours, strangers. And what those people do in the next five minutes can decide whether the person survives.

That is the idea behind World Restart a Heart Day, observed every October 16: ordinary people learning to act in the minutes before medical help arrives.

Why the First Five Minutes Matter So Much

When the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively, a condition called sudden cardiac arrest, blood stops reaching the brain and other organs. Brain cells begin to suffer damage within minutes, and every minute without help sharply lowers the chance of survival.

This is different from a heart attack, where the heart is still beating but a blocked artery is starving part of it of blood. In cardiac arrest, the person collapses, stops responding, and is not breathing normally. Emergency teams need time to arrive, and that gap is exactly where a bystander’s hands can keep blood moving. CPR doesn’t restart the heart on its own, but it buys the person time until trained help and equipment take over.

Step 1: Check, Then Call for Help

Don’t assume. Tap the person’s shoulders firmly and shout, “Are you okay?” If there’s no response, look at their chest for normal breathing. Occasional gasping doesn’t count as normal breathing, and it’s a common feature of cardiac arrest.

If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, act immediately:

• Call 112, India’s emergency number (or 108 for an ambulance), or ask a specific person nearby to make the call. Say “You, in the blue shirt, call 112,” because a vague request often means nobody does it.
• Ask someone to find an AED (automated external defibrillator) if the place has one, such as a mall, airport, or large office complex.

Spend no more than ten seconds on this check. Time is the one thing the person doesn’t have.

Step 2: Start Hands-Only CPR

If you haven’t been formally trained, hands-only CPR is recommended. It’s simple, and it works.

1. Place the person flat on their back on a firm surface.
2. Kneel beside them and put the heel of one hand on the centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone. Place your other hand on top and interlock your fingers.
3. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders directly above your hands.
4. Push hard and fast. Press down about 5 to 6 centimetres (roughly 2 inches), at a pace of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Many people use the beat of a familiar song to keep this rhythm.
5. Let the chest rise fully between compressions, without lifting your hands off the chest.
6. Don’t stop. Keep going until help arrives, an AED is ready, or the person starts moving or breathing normally.

It’s normal to feel the chest give way, and sometimes a rib may crack. That’s a known and accepted part of effective CPR. It’s far better than not doing it at all.

Step 3: Use an AED If One Arrives

AEDs are designed for people with no medical training. Once switched on, the device gives clear voice instructions: where to place the pads, when to stand clear, and when to deliver a shock. Don’t be afraid of using one. It will only advise a shock when one is actually needed.

Common Fears That Stop People From Helping

“What if I do it wrong?” Someone in cardiac arrest is already in the most critical situation possible. Imperfect CPR is much better than no CPR.

“What if I hurt them?” The risk of a broken rib is real but minor compared to the risk of doing nothing.

“What if I get in legal trouble?” India recognises protections for Good Samaritans who help in emergencies in good faith, so bystanders should not hesitate out of fear.

A Note on Children and Infants

The technique differs for infants and young children, with a gentler compression depth, and rescue breaths often play a bigger role. If you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, or someone who works with children, it’s worth taking a hands-on training course rather than relying on written instructions alone.

After the First Five Minutes

CPR is the bridge, not the destination. A person who has collapsed needs rapid hospital care: emergency stabilisation, heart rhythm monitoring, diagnostic tests to find the cause, and often intensive care. Survivors also need proper cardiac follow-up to understand what went wrong and reduce the risk of it happening again.

That’s where having a hospital with round-the-clock emergency care, cardiology, and ICU support close to home makes a real difference. Knowing which hospital near you can handle a cardiac emergency, before you ever need it, is one of the simplest and most useful things a family can do.

Be the Person Who Knows What to Do

Most people will never need to perform CPR. But if that moment ever comes, it will almost certainly be for someone they love. Reading this page for five minutes today could be the preparation that makes those five minutes count.

Emergency and Cardiac Care at Aanya Hospital

Aanya Hospital provides 24/7 emergency care, with cardiology and ICU support for patients who need urgent attention, as well as ongoing follow-up care for heart patients and their families.

📍 93/93, 17th Cross, MC Road, Vijayanagar, Bengaluru – 560 040 📞 +91 91114 21113 | +91 91115 41114 📧 aanyahospital@gmail.com

Save our number today. In an emergency, every minute counts.