Most CPR instructors will tell you that “once you begin CPR, you cannot stop.” Even an online CPR course will tell you the same thing. But of course, there are times you can and should stop CPR. Let’s go over each one.
When To Stop CPR
- The victim begins breathing normally. That is kind of a big deal. If your victim is breathing normally, they also have a pulse. So, you should stop CPR since they no longer need compressions, because the heart is beating and they are breathing on their own. One caution straight from the American Heart Association’s 2025 Guidelines: occasional gasps (called agonal breathing) are not normal breathing, so do not stop for a gasp. Pushing on a heart while it is beating, especially following cardiac arrest, could be detrimental to the heart rhythm. And if normal breathing stops again, restart CPR immediately.
- Help arrives. This could be someone else with equal or higher training than yourself to share taking turns performing CPR. This doesn’t mean one of you will do compressions while the other person does the breathing. It means when you need a break after about 2 minutes, the other rescuer takes over completely with ventilations and compressions. Then you will swap out again and let the other person rest. It has been proven that at about the 2-minute mark rescuers begin to tire, and as a result the compressions become weaker and slower, reducing the effectiveness of CPR.
The other type of help that will arrive is 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Services or fire department paramedics. They of course will take over completely and elevate the care to Advanced Life Support. - Exhaustion. You the rescuer become totally exhausted from your CPR efforts. You are not only tired, but so exhausted that you just cannot go on. No one can expect you to do more than you are capable of. Just do the best you can.
- AED. You can stop CPR briefly while you connect the victim to the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This should be done as quickly as possible. While getting the AED ready, another rescuer should continue with CPR until you are ready to place the pads on the bare chest. Compressions should continue even while prepping the patient, removing any chest hair or moisture on the chest. Keep any pause in compressions as short as possible; minimizing interruptions is a point the AHA guidelines drive home. And once you have shocked the victim, CPR should resume as soon as possible unless the victim begins breathing normally.
- The scene becomes dangerous. Not all CPR rescues are free from hazards. There could be lightning strikes, uncontrolled traffic, civil unrest, etc. If it is safe to move the victim, do so if possible. But don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation.
- 30 minutes have gone by. If no EMS/paramedics have arrived on the scene to perform Advanced Life Support within 30 minutes, you can stop. The victim has been down too long with only basic life support being performed. The exception to this rule is a cold-water drowning, ice, or snow rescue where the victim’s core body temperature has significantly dropped. In this case, you will continue CPR until rescuers arrive.
These are a realistic list of the reasons you can stop or discontinue CPR. Encourage your family members to become CPR and First Aid trained. Our online CPR and First Aid certification course is a great opportunity for them to learn lifesaving skills quickly and for free.
