Page 172 - (DK) Home Doctor: Providing practical advice on home treatments

170 FIRST AID

CPR – Rescue breathing

If a victim is unconscious and has stopped breathing, you
WARNING
can supply oxygen to keep him or her alive by blowing your own
exhaled air into his or her lungs. This technique, called rescue Call 911.
breathing, is the first stage of cardiopulmonary resuscitation Send a helper to call 911 if a victim
is not breathing.
(CPR). Rescue breathing is also used with chest compressions
(see opposite page) in the second stage of CPR.

PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE
Rescue breathing (adults) Keeping the victim’s head tilted,
Use these procedures to maintain a victim’s breathing and lift your mouth and see
circulation until help arrives. If you know a 3 if his or her chest falls. If the
victim has choked, go straight to chest chest rises and falls, this is an
compressions (see opposite page). effective breath. If it does
not, adjust his or her head.
Send a helper to call 911. Try again up to 5 times.
Make sure the airway
1 remains open by keeping
one hand on his or her
forehead and two fingers
of the other hand under
the chin.

As soon as you achieve 2 effective breaths, stop and
check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing,
4 and movement) for up to 10 seconds. If signs are
present, continue giving 10 breaths per minute until
help arrives. Check for circulation every minute.
If the victim starts breathing but is still unconscious,
place him or her in the recovery position (see
5 p.169). If you can’t achieve effective breaths or
Pinch the victim’s nostrils shut with your thumb there are no signs of circulation, go immediately
and index finger, and open his or her mouth. Take to chest compressions (see opposite page).
2 a deep breath, then place your lips around his or
her lips, making the most airtight seal you can.
Blow steadily into the mouth Rescue breathing (babies,
until you see the chest and children aged 1–7 years)
rise; this usually takes ● Use the adult method for a child aged 1–7
about 2 seconds.
years, but at a rate of 20 breaths
per minute instead of 10.
● For a baby under 1, cover
the nose and mouth with
your lips and give breaths,
or breathe into the nose.
Give 20 breaths
per minute.