CPR: ADULT

If you find an adult unresponsive, this is what you do.

Check for responsiveness. "Are you Ok? Can you hear me?"

• If there is no response, call 911, or call a code if you are in the hospital. Get a defibrillator if available.
• Open the airway using a headtilt chin lift
• Check pulse, and while doing that, look for breathing. Use only 5-10 seconds for this, and do it simultaneously.
• If no pulse and no breathing (agonal gasps same as no breathing), start CHEST COMPRESSIONS, 100-120 compressions per minute. Depth of compression should be 2-2.4 inches. Allow complete chest recoil after each compression. Do Head tilt Chin lift (AIRWAY) for delivering breaths. If only one rescuer, alternate 30 compressions and two BREATHS. If two rescuers alternate 30 compressions and two breaths. Use a barrier device and give two breaths. Each breath should last only one second. Look for chest rise with each breath.If possible rotate rescuers every 2 minutes.
• If pulse is present , but patient not breathing: do Head tilt-Chin lift and give one breaths every 5-6 seconds, ie 10-12 per minute. Check pulse every 2 minutes. If pulse is lost go to chest compression and breaths combination as above.
• Once he starts breathing on his own, roll him into recovery position. Here is how you do it: Extend his left arm. Cross his right leg over his left leg. Turn his body and head to the left, so that he is laying on his left side with his head resting on his left arm, his body propped up by his right arm and right leg.
• While giving CPR remember to minimize any pauses to 10 seconds or less.
• Once you have the AED available do the following steps:
• Turn it ON
• Attach the electrode pads to the patient's chest. one pad is placed just below the right collar bone. The other pad is placed over the mid-axillary line on the left side of the chest. Remember, you can use adult pads on a child, but you cannot use child size pads on an adult.
• Press ANALYSE, Analyze the rhythm
• If the device advises shock (it advises shock only for Vfib)
• Stand clear
• SHOCK
• Resume CPR until prompted by AED to allow rhythm check
• After 2 minutes, the AED will start the cycle all over again.
• If it says "shock not advised", it means the rhythm is not Vfib, so we continue CPR
• Continue CPR until EMS arrives.

ONCE AN ADVANCED AIRWAY IS PLACED, BREATHS ARE GIVEN EVERY 6 SECONDS. NO LONGER DO YOU HAVE TO PAUSE THE CHEST COMPRESSIONS WHILE GIVING BREATHS. CONTINUE CHEST COMPRESSIONS AT 100-120/MINUTE.

REMEMBER, IF THE CAUSE OF UNRESPONSIVENSS IS DROWNING OR DRUG OVERDOSE OR TRAUMA, CPR SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR ONE MINUTES FIRST BEFORE LEAVING THE PATIENT TO CALL FOR HELP. THIS IS AN EXCEPTION TO THE 'PHONE EMS FIRST' RULE.