Page 53 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

Chapter 1 Health and safety practices and systems

CPR is a manual method of maintaining a heartbeat and air supply to a person
who has collapsed, is unconscious, is not breathing and has no pulse. The idea of
CPR is to keep blood pumping around the body to maintain a supply of oxygen
to the brain so that brain damage does not occur, until the person can breathe
by themselves.
How do I perform CPR?
If someone is with you, you must send them to telephone for an ambulance
immediately. If you are alone, telephone for an ambulance and then quickly
return to the victim.
1 Check for a pulse or other signs of circulation.
2 Carefully place the victim on their back on a firm surface.
3 Kneel next to the victim’s chest.
4 Remove or open the clothes around the victim’s chest area so that the rib
cage and sternum are visible.
5 Place the heel of one hand directly above the sternum, close to the point
where the lower ribs meet.
6 Place the other hand on top of the first hand and interlock the fingers.
Keep the fingers off the chest so that only the heel of the hand is touching,
otherwise you risk further injury to the victim.
7 Move forward until you are directly above the sternum, straighten your
arms and lock the elbows. You must push down about 4–5 cm for an adult
on every chest compression, but you must release after every downward
movement.
8 Compress the chest about 100 times a minute. Start the compressions by
counting to 15 in three groups of five, followed by two rescue breaths.
9 After the two rescue breaths, return to the chest and repeat the cycle.
10 Continue the 15:2 ratio for a total of four cycles every minute.

Continue CPR until:
● breathing, coughing or movement is seen
● the ambulance service paramedics arrive and you are asked to stop, or
● you are too exhausted to carry on.

The recovery position

Why use the recovery position?
Placing someone in the recovery position will ensure their airway remains
open and clear. It also enables any vomit or other fluids to flow away from the
casualty’s airway so that they do not choke.

Recovery position for adults
This is the best position for a casualty who is unconscious but still breathing.

41

9781510416482.indb 41 29/03/19 8:49 PM