Can CPR break bones if done correctly?

CPR involves repeated chest compressions about five centimetres (two inches) deep, but doesn’t always cause broken bones. About 30 per cent of patients undergoing CPR will end up with a fractured rib or, in four per cent of cases, a broken sternum. Some patients are more vulnerable than others – eg those with osteoporosis. The person performing the CPR also makes a difference: one study showed that laypeople are more likely to break ribs than doctors. In any case, fractured ribs are a small price to pay if the CPR saves a life.

Answered by Alex Cheung.