Final answer:
The minimum depth of compressions required during CPR is at least 5 cm (2 inches).
Step-by-step explanation:
Current standards for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) require a minimum depth of compressions which is at least 5 cm deep or about 2 inches. This depth of compression is necessary to manually compress the blood within the heart enough to push it into the pulmonary and systemic circuits.
CPR is utilized when the heart stops and is critical especially for the brain where irreversible damage can occur quickly in the absence of blood flow. It is important to maintain a rhythm of 100 compressions per minute, a rate you can keep up with by remembering the beat of the song "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees.