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First Aid
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - Adult
In this video, you will learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation following cardiac arrest in an adult
First Aid techniques:
1 - State of consciousness?
If the person loses consciousness, call for help if you are alone
Lay them on their back
2 - Normal breathing?
Check that the casualty is still breathing by placing one hand on their forehead, and the fingers of your other hand beneath the tip of their chin
Gently tilt their head back and lift their chin to open their airways
If you see no breathing movement, hear nothing, nor feel their breath on your cheek the casualty is not breathing
3 - Alert the emergency services
Call the emergency services and, only if there is one nearby, go and fetch a defibrillator
4 - Defibrillator?
If there are other people around you, ask someone else to fetch a defibrillator
5 - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
In the absence of a defibrillator, or whilst waiting for someone to arrive with one, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation
To do this, place the heel of the palm of your hand in the middle of the casualty's bare chest
Place your other hand on top of this hand, and interlock your fingers
Position yourself directly above their chest with your arms straight
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
30 Chest compressions
Press down on the chest to a depth of between 5-6cm (2in) with both hands,
Maintain a rhythm of 2 compressions per second
2 Rescue breaths
Alternate 30 chest compressions with 2 rescue breaths, but only if you know how to do them
Or
Chest compressions
Otherwise perform chest compressions only
If you perform mouth-to-mouth breathing, do not forget to tilt the head back before each rescue breath and be sure to check that the casualty's chest inflates
Continue cardiopulmonary resuscitation without stopping until: the victim begins to breathe normally, or the emergency services arrive, or a defibrillator is brought to the scene
Adult Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
In the first minutes immediately after cardiac arrest, the victim may breathe weakly or take irregular, noisy gasps
These are known as gasps and should not be confused with normal breathing.
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