Whoever starts CPR carries a heavy question: "do I stop now?". The golden rule: continue until one of four things happens — no guessing, no judgement calls.

In short — what to do

  1. The ambulance crew arrives and takes over from you directly.
  2. The person clearly responds: moves, opens their eyes, breathes normally — then place them in the recovery position and watch them.
  3. The AED asks you to stop for rhythm analysis or to deliver a shock — then return to compressions immediately as it directs.
  4. Your strength completely gives out and nobody can relieve you — saving yourself is not selfishness.

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Two rescuers: one compresses from the side, one at the head for breaths — swap every two minutes
Two rescuers: one compresses from the side, one at the head for breaths — swap every two minutes
The full details

Stop only when

  1. The ambulance crew arrives and takes over from you directly.
  2. The person clearly responds: moves, opens their eyes, breathes normally — then place them in the recovery position and watch them.
  3. The AED asks you to stop for rhythm analysis or to deliver a shock — then return to compressions immediately as it directs.
  4. Your strength completely gives out and nobody can relieve you — saving yourself is not selfishness.

What about fatigue?

  • Effective compressions are genuinely exhausting — their quality drops after two minutes even if you don't feel it.
  • If someone else is there: swap every two minutes, quickly, with the least possible interruption.
  • Put your phone on speaker — the ambulance dispatcher stays with you and coaches you until the crew arrives.

Never stop CPR for these reasons

  • "Many minutes have passed, it's useless" — keep going; people have survived after long resuscitations, and that judgement belongs to the medical team, not you.
  • Fear of breaking ribs — correct compressions can crack; continuing matters more.
  • Relatives arriving and panicking — give one of them a job: "wait for the ambulance at the door".

Worth knowing

The decision to finally stop a resuscitation attempt is a purely medical one, made by the ambulance or ER team using precise criteria — it is never yours as a first-aider, and that lifts a heavy psychological weight: your only job is to continue.

This content is for general health education only and is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. In an emergency, call 998.

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