To do chest compressions for cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a rescuer kneels to one side and, with the arms held straight, leans over the person and places both hands, one on top of the other just above (about two finger widths) the lowest part of the breastbone (called the xiphoid process). The rescuer compresses the chest about 2 to 2.4 inches (5 to 6 centimeters) in adults. The chest is compressed about 100 to 120 times per minute.