New research has shown that chest compressions only can be an effective method of delivering CPR to people in need. Find out how one man was able to save his father after to a heart attack. Watch the video:

CPR: Chest Compressions Only

"Research has shown that if CPR is started within 4 to 6 minutes of someone collapsing, we have about a 45% survival rate," says Carol Parsons, R.N., of the Vanderbilt Heart & Vascular Institute at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"There is a real need for people to know how to do CPR. And, CPR does save lives," Parsons says.

"People found it somewhat challenging because they would be doing mouth to mouth on someone who they didn't know," says Andre Churchwell, M.D., of the department of General Cardiology at Vanderbilt Heart & Vascular Institute at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "Obviously there are a lot of concerns about STDs and other airborne illnesses that have lead to a not very high success rate in being able to train the population.

"Recent research has pointed out that Rescue breathing is not nearly as important as chest compressions," Dr. Churchwell says.

Learn more at www.VanderbiltHeart.com