Created in the 1960s, CPR is a lifesaving technique that keeps oxygenated blood circulating. Conventional CPR involves a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths – and yet, over the past decade or so, you might have got the impression that rescue breaths are being phased out in favour of compression-only CPR.

Is that true? And if so, why?

So, why was compression-only CPR introduced?

In 2008, the American Heart Association updated its guidance based on several large studies examining the rates of bystander CPR and the barriers preventing people from intervening in a cardiac arrest. A recurring theme? Many bystanders were hesitant to perform CPR at all, largely due to concerns about performing mouth-to-mouth on a stranger, especially without any training.

To encourage more people to act in an emergency, the AHA recommended Hands-Only CPR for untrained bystanders. The thinking was simple: if people could remember and feel confident doing just chest compressions, they might be more likely to step in during a time-critical emergency.

Are rescue breaths still necessary?

Yes – and in many cases, they’re essential.

Rescue breaths (which you might know as ‘mouth-to-mouth’) deliver oxygen into a person’s lungs. They are a critical part of CPR, especially in cases where the cardiac arrest is caused by a lack of oxygen.

That’s why full CPR, including rescue breaths, remains the gold standard for trained individuals and is still taught on all accredited first aid courses, including ours.

Why are some people still hesitant to give rescue breaths?

It’s entirely understandable. Rescue breaths involve sealing your mouth over someone else’s – something many people find intimate, unfamiliar, or intimidating. Common concerns include:

• Worry about doing it incorrectly

• Fear of disease transmission

• General discomfort with physical contact

• Lack of confidence or training

Studies suggest that these fears can cause people to freeze and avoid intervening altogether. That’s why Hands-Only CPR was introduced – not as a replacement, but as a fallback. If someone can’t, or won’t, perform full CPR, it’s better to do compressions than nothing at all.

Which technique should you use?

If you’d like to feel confident giving rescue breaths and performing CPR in an emergency, consider taking one of our accredited first aid courses.