In adults, call 911 first and do the following: If the person is not breathing but has a pulse, give 1 rescue breath every 5 to 6 seconds or about 10 to 12 breaths per minute.
The physicians and scientists at the Sarver Heart Center, have found that the old saying "Never perform CPR on beating heart" is not valid. According to these professionals, the chances that a bystander could harm a person by pressing on their chest are slim to none, even if the heart is working normally.
Press with 2-3 fingers and feel for a pulse on the side of the neck closer to the rescuer. At the same time, assess the victim for breathing by watching for chest rise and fall. Checking for a pulse should take at least 5 seconds, but no longer than 10 seconds.
If there is no pulse, do 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute until help gets there6. Don't worry about rescue breathing.
If you do not feel a pulse within 10 seconds, begin high-quality CPR, starting with chest compressions. 100 to 120 compressions per minute. After each compression, allow complete chest recoil.
If they do have a pulse but aren't breathing, give them CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until help arrives. CPR chest compressions are important because they provide oxygenated blood flow to all parts of the body and keep organs alive until medical personnel arrive on scene.
It's important to minimize delay in starting CPR, so take no more than 10 seconds to assess the patient. If the victim has a pulse and is breathing normally, monitor them until emergency responders arrive. If the victim has a pulse but is breathing abnormally, maintain the patient's airway and begin rescue breathing.
Do not delay CPR for pulse or rhythm check. Do not delay CPR for pulse or rhythm check. After 2 minutes of CPR, analyze rhythm. Do not check pulse before analyzing rhythm.
The seven steps of CPR are as follows: check for Danger, call for Help, check the Victim's Airway, give Two Rescue Breaths, perform Chest Compressions, switch Roles with the Compressor (if available), and continue Compressions until Advanced Medical help arrives.
Only stop CPR when the paramedics arrive and are ready to take over from you or when the patient starts to breathe on their own. Every minute CPR is performed can make a difference to the patient's survival and minimises the risk of brain damage and/or death.
The person is still breathing normally
If someone is breathing normally, you usually do not need to perform CPR. Oxygen is still getting to the brain and the heart is obviously functioning for the time being. In this case, call 911 and wait.
CPR with rescue breaths
Tilt the person's head gently and lift the chin up with 2 fingers. Pinch the person's nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about 1 second. Check that their chest rises.
If you know there is an AED in the building that you are in or close to you (ideally within 3 minutes), call 9-1-1, run and grab the AED, use it, and then provide CPR after the first shock when the AED tells you to.
Rhythms that are not amenable to shock include pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and asystole. In these cases, identifying primary causation, performing good CPR, and administering epinephrine are the only tools you have to resuscitate the patient.
If the person is unconscious or is bleeding heavily, these must be dealt with first by controlling the bleeding with direct pressure and performing CPR.
Because of concerns regarding the deleterious effects of acidosis, clinicians have used bicarbonates as buffer to offset the high acid production, in an attempt to help the body restore normal homeostasis in cardiac arrest.
Because just chest compressions are necessary for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mouth to mouth resuscitation is no longer advised.
As the evidence shows, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation is most effective when only chest compressions are used, which is why mouth-to-mouth is no longer recommended. If you aren't trained and you see someone collapse, check that the area is safe, push hard and fast, and call for emergency services and an AED.
Open the person's airway. Lift up the chin gently with one hand while pushing down on the forehead with the other to tilt the head back. (Do not try to open the airway using a jaw thrust for injured victims. Be sure to employ this head tilt-chin lift for all victims, even if the person is injured.)
Do not perform CPR if the victim is breathing normally when something is not right, and if the area is dangerous. The American Heart Association recommends using hands-only CPR for untrained bystanders.
The incidence of rib fractures after CPR is reported in over 70% of CPR cases, with a mean number of 7.6 broken ribs per person (8). Despite their rarity, these fractures can result in fatal injuries such as cardiac laceration and pericardial tamponade (1,2).
An Italian mountaineer has survived what is believed to be the longest CPR attempt without extra life support when a team worked on the man for almost six hours.
What Are the Three P's of First Aid? The PPP acronym in first aid stands for: Preserve Life. Prevent Deterioration. Promote Recovery.