How To Do CPR on an Adult

Let's hope you never have to be put in the situation where someone is in need of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). In case you are, it would be helpful to be informed on how to perform this technique. You may save a person's life. These instructions are for an adult only ( infant CPR and children CPR differ). Ideally, CPR should be performed only by people who have received proper training. Although, the faster a person receives CPR the better. If no one else can help, follow these instructions to perform CPR.

Step 1  

Check the scene for dangers. If you come across someone who is unconscious, you need to quickly make sure there are no dangers to yourself if you choose to help them. Is there a car exhaust running? A gas stove? Is there a fire? Are electrical lines down?  

• If there is anything that could endanger you or the victim, see if there is something you can do to counteract it. Open a window, turn off the stove, or put out the fire if possible. Anything you can do to counteract the danger.
• However, if there is nothing you can do to counteract the danger, move the victim. The best way to move the victim is by placing a blanket or a coat underneath their back and pulling on the coat or blanket.

Step 2  

Check the victim for consciousness by shaking or tapping their shoulder and saying in a loud, clear voice, "Are you okay? Are you okay?"  

• If they respond, they are conscious. They may have just been sleeping, or they could have been unconscious. If it still appears to be an emergency situation (e.g. they are having trouble breathing, they appear to be fading in between consciousness and unconsciousness, they were unconscious, etc.) call for help' and begin basic first aid and take measures to prevent or treat shock.
• If they do not respond, continue on to the next step.

Step 3  

Send for help. The more people available for this step the better, however, it can be done alone. Send someone to call the Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Call 911 in North America, 000 in Australia, 112 by cellphone in the EU (including the UK) and 999 in the UK. And make sure you point to them and say "Go call 911" (or whatever the EMS number is in your area). This way you'll make sure you specifically sent for help. If you are alone and you did not see what happened, preform CPR for one minute (which is about three cycles of CPR) and then call the EMS, then resume. If possible, send someone else to get an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) if there is one in the building.

Step 4  

Remember your A,B,Cs. These refer to three critical things you need to look for to know what to do.  

• Airway – Does the person have an unobstructed airway?
• Breathing – Is the person breathing?
• Circulation – Does the person have a pulse?

Step 5  

Make sure the airway is open. Place your hand on the victims forehead and two fingers on their chin and tilt the head back to open the airway (if you suspect a neck injury, pull the jaw forward rather than lifting the chin).

Step 6  

Look, listen and feel for breathing. Place your ear above their mouth and stare at their chest. Do this for no longer than ten seconds. If you do not feel or hear breathing or see the chest rising, continue to the next step. If there are signs of life, treat for shock. Cover them if it is cold, and if possible, uncover them if it is hot, etc.

Step 7  

If there is no breathing, place a breathing barrier (if available) over the victim's mouth.

Step 8  

Give two rescue breaths. Keeping the airway open, take the fingers that were on the forehead and pinch the victim's nose closed. Make a seal with your mouth over the victim's mouth and breathe out for about one second. Make sure you breathe slowly, as this will make sure the air goes in the lungs not the stomach. Make sure you keep your eye on the victim's chest.  

• If the breath goes in, you should see the chest slightly rise and also feel it go in. If the breath goes in, give a second rescue breath.
• If the breath does not go in, re-position the head and try again. If it does not go in again, the victim may be choking. Begin chest compressions.

Step 9  

Give 30 chest compressions, followed by two breaths. Place your hands on top of each other and place them in the center of the chest (on the breastbone) between the two nipples. Your ring finger should be on top of the nipple (this will lower the chances of breaking a rib or ribs).  

• Compress the chest, with elbows locked, by pushing straight down approximately 2 inches deep.
• Do 30 of these compressions, at a rate of about 100 a minute.

Step 10  

Repeat the cycle of 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths. You should do CPR for 2 minutes (5 cycles of compressions to breaths) before checking for signs o life. Continue CPR until someone takes over for you, emergency personnel arrive, you are too exhausted to continue, an AED is available for immediate use, or pulse and breathing return (signs of life).

Tips

• Get proper training from a qualified organization in your area. Training from an experienced instructor is the best way to be prepared in an emergency.
• Do not waste valuable time checking for a pulse. If there is no breathing, assume there is no pulse. Studies have determined that there is almost no damage done to a heart from compressions.
• Don't forget to place your hands in the middle of the breastbone at the level of the nipples.
• If there is no breathing barrier, you are not comfortable giving mouth to mouth and you witnessed the victim fall, you may use compressions only because the victim will have enough oxygen in the blood to survive until EMS arrives.
• If the victim is unconcious and choking, perform chest compressions. This will work like the Heimlich maneuver. Use the Heimlich maneuver on conscious victims only.
• If you must move the victim, try to disturb the body as little as possible.
• Always call Emergency Medical Services.
• You can get guidance on correct CPR technique from an emergency services operator if needed.
• CPR is designed so that if you do it wrong, you won't harm the victim. If you are doing CPR, the victim is already technically dead. You won't kill him if you don't do exactly 30 compressions or if you don't do them quite fast enough. Follow these steps as close as possible, but relax if it doesn't quite go how you think it should.

Warnings

• If the victim is concious, do not conduct first aid without their permission, this could be considered battery. If they are unconcious, consent is typically implied. Check your local law.
• If the person has normal breathing, coughing, or movement, do not begin chest compressions. Doing so may cause the heart to stop beating.
• Be sure to survey the scene for danger before you attempt to administer CPR.
• Remember that CPR is different for adults, children and infants; this CPR is meant to be administered to an adult.
• Always wear gloves and use a breathing barrier when possible to make transmission of diseases less likely.
• Do not move the patient unless they are in immediate danger or are in a place that is life threatening.