The Aporia · How to perform CPR: why compressions are vital

How to perform CPR: why compressions are vital

Read the original at The Sydney Morning Herald ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Connolly, P. (2026, October 30). How to perform CPR: why compressions are vital. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-to-perform-cpr-why-compressions-are-vital-20261031-p616sd.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Quick Summary

Good Weekend's column provides guidance on performing CPR, emphasizing that even ineffective attempts are better than none when someone is unconscious and not breathing. Simon Cowie, a cardiac-arrest spokesperson at the Heart Foundation, recommends focusing solely on chest compressions unless instructed otherwise by emergency services. The recommended rate for adults is about 100-120 compressions per minute, which can be memorized to the beat of "Stayin' Alive" or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

Written by AI on 2026-11-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Simon Cowie, a former paramedic and current cardiac-arrest spokesperson at the Heart Foundation, emphasizes that performing CPR on someone who is unconscious and not breathing is crucial because they are essentially dead without intervention. According to the Heart Foundation, only one in ten people survive a cardiac arrest outside of hospital settings, but this survival rate doubles if CPR begins early. Survival chances increase to 60-70 percent if both CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) are used within three to five minutes.

The Heart Foundation now recommends that untrained rescuers should focus solely on compressions—pressing hard and fast in the center of the chest—unless instructed otherwise by emergency services. This approach is based on evidence that rescue breaths, which require specific techniques, were often not being performed effectively. Cowie stresses that any attempt at CPR is better than no action at all, as it significantly improves a person's chances of survival.

Written for “CPR Techniques Explained” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 18 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

61/100

The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Health

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-11-02 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Sydney Morning Herald · 5845 article(s) · 15 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 15 correction(s)

2026-10-30

Notorious paedophile charged with additional 200 offences against 23 children

2026-10-29

‘Just try me’: The text messages that sparked News24’s on-air clash

2026-10-28

Opposition’s Long Bay idea not the negative gear portrayed by Labor

2026-10-24

Will I still have to pay the 30% tax if only sell a few shares?

2026-10-18

How a beanie exposed a man who burnt his ex’s home and killed her cats

2026-10-12

Prisons boss won’t say who asked for human rights law carve-out

2026-10-09

Sam Wood held in high-security prison after failed bid for freedom

2026-10-09

Sam Wood moved to correctional centre following failed bail application

2026-10-09

P-plater accused of horror Newcastle car crash bailed to family home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs

2026-10-08

Snowtown murderer seen leaving correctional facility

2026-10-08

Oliver Curtis’ transformation from jailbird to corporate kingpin has gone awry

2026-10-03

Tennessee’s prisons chief to resign after failed execution of Christa Pike

2026-09-28

Inside the prison left abandoned for years – now set to reopen as DV offenders weigh on system

2026-09-19

What will happen to your most cherished possessions when you die? You don’t want to know

2026-09-18

What will happen to your most cherished possessions when you die? You don’t want to know

Who wrote this

Paul Connolly

3 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Compressions alone (the “push”) will not restart a stopped heart; a shock is needed.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · How to perform CPR: why compressions are vital

🔮 Writers of haiku – who, like me, attempt to capture moments – might wonder why I’ve needed to be so damned long-winded.

2026-10-16 · assertive framing · Many years ago I began writing 100-word short stories. Some would argue that’s too long

🔮 Office over-workers may find release in mooching with their children.

2026-09-25 · assertive framing · Stop feeling guilty – there are benefits of doing absolutely nothing

Also by Paul Connolly

Many years ago I began writing 100-word short stories. Some would argue that’s too long

2026-10-16 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Stop feeling guilty – there are benefits of doing absolutely nothing

2026-09-25 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

Good Weekend Good Weekend’s the Heart Foundation

Subjects

Cowie PERSON · 3× the Heart Foundation ORG · 3× Good Weekend’s ORG · 1× Simon Cowie PERSON · 1× the Bee Gees’ PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Pump to the rhythm of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive or, if that’s not in your repertoire, Row, Row, Row Your Boat. But don’t go so gently down the stream: for an adult patient, compressions need to be firm.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-02

🔮 Compressions alone (the “push”) will not restart a stopped heart; a shock is needed.

2026-11-02 · The Sydney Morning Herald

How to perform CPR: why compressions are vital · assertive framing

Claims (18 extracted, 1 hedged)

Each week, Good Weekend’s how-to column shares expert advice on how to navigate some of modern life’s big – and small – challenges. asserted

column → share → challenges

Some people are disinclined to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person because they don’t want to make things worse. asserted

things → perform → person

“But when someone is unconscious and not breathing, they’re effectively dead,” says Simon Cowie, a former paramedic, now cardiac-arrest spokesperson at the Heart Foundation. asserted

Cowie → breathe → Foundation

Indeed, according to the Heart Foundation, only one in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest outside hospital – though this doubles if someone starts CPR early. uncertain

someone → accord → CPR

Survival chances jump to 60-70 per cent if CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) are used within the first three to five minutes. asserted

CPR → jump → minutes

So, how does one perform CPR? asserted

one → perform → CPR

Actually, the Heart Foundation now encourages untrained rescuers to focus on compressions only, unless instructed otherwise by the Triple Zero operator. asserted

Foundation → encourage → operator

The rescue breaths [two for every 30 compressions] weren’t always being done effectively, explains Cowie. asserted

Cowie → do → compressions

“The compressions were working to move blood around to the brain and organs, and build up the [patient’s] blood pressure, so it made no sense to stop doing that in order to do something less effective. asserted

it → work → something

Also, when someone becomes unconscious, their blood has residual oxygen in it.” asserted

blood → become → it

These days, advice boils down to “Call, Push, Shock”. asserted

advice → boil → ?

The first and third of these steps involves calling triple-zero and using an AED, if there’s one on hand. asserted

first → involve → hand

Compressions alone (the “push”) will not restart a stopped heart; a shock is needed. asserted

shock → restart → heart

While awaiting paramedics and/or the AED, ensure the patient is lying flat on a hard surface. asserted

patient → await → surface

compressions → pump → patient

Cowie knows that, to some, this will seem daunting. asserted

this → know → some

But waiting for help isn’t an option: “Without your assistance,” he says, “this person probably won’t survive.” asserted

person → wait → assistance

Get the best of Good Weekend delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. asserted

best → get → inbox