Breathing and the heart
Not breathing, cardiac arrest
Also called cpr, not breathing, cardiac arrest, heart stopped, collapsed
Call 112 or 108 first, then start. Put the phone on speaker so the operator can talk you through every step while your hands stay free.
What you are dealing with
Someone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally needs chest compressions immediately. Doing them imperfectly is far better than doing nothing.
Do this, in this order
- Shout for help. Tap their shoulders and shout, can you hear me.
- Tilt the head back, lift the chin, and look and listen for normal breathing for up to ten seconds. Gasping is not normal breathing.
- Call 112 or 108 on speaker, or send someone else to call and to fetch a defibrillator if one is nearby.
- Kneel beside them. Put the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, the other hand on top, and lock your elbows.
- Push hard and fast, about five to six centimetres deep, around one hundred to one hundred and twenty pushes a minute. Let the chest come all the way back up each time.
- Do not stop until they wake up, a defibrillator is attached and tells you to stand clear, or trained help takes over. Swap with someone else every two minutes if you can.
Never do this
- Do not stop to check for a pulse. Untrained people get it wrong and lose vital seconds.
- Do not worry about giving rescue breaths if you are untrained or unwilling. Compressions alone save lives.
- Do not move the person to a bed or a car first. Compressions on a firm surface, where they are, come first.
- Do not pause compressions to give water, slap the face or sprinkle water.
Call an ambulance if
- Always call 112 or 108 before or while starting compressions, and put the phone on speaker so they can guide you
After the emergency
Get it looked at properly
First aid buys time, it does not finish the job. Most of these situations need a doctor to check what happened, prevent infection, and decide whether anything more is needed.
