What should you do if the patient is unresponsive?

Answer 1

Check for pulse.

But don't wait around trying to find one--say, five seconds or so. After that, start chest compressions immediately. 30 compressions at a rate of 100/min [if it helps, pump to the beat of "staying alive" or "another one bites the dust"--while morbid, these two songs have beats of ~100/min.]

After 30 compressions, give two quick breaths. IF you don't want to give the breaths, just keep pumping. Be sure to update First Responders that you've done "Hands-only CPR."


If someone can grab a defib, set it up and let 'er rip.

Answer 2

After calling for help, is to assess A-B-Cs -- airway, breathing, circulation. Each of these determines your next step.

If the person IS breathing, and has a pulse, the patient should be placed on the side. BUT you may not know why they are unresponsive. Did they fall? (possible neck injury?) Did they get thrown from a horse? (possible spinal trauma?) Or no injury? Since you will NOT always know these things, you'd need to protect the spine by firmly holding the head on both sides, without turning or tipping the head. The "roll" is much easier done by 2 persons.

You must check the airway FIRST if a person is not breathing. You must remove anything blocking the airway in order to do any next steps.

If the person is not breathing, you MUST check circulation-- a carotid pulse (each side of the neck). If a person HAS a pulse (heart is beating) but no respirations, you'd need to start rescue breathing. A person with a heart beat cannot live long with no oxygen; if you don't breathe for them, they will die or suffer brain hypoxia (brain death).

If there is bleeding, especially spurting blood from an artery, you have to control the bleeding before you can do CPR --or every pump on the chest will send blood out from the severed artery.

So, in the worst-case scenario:

You see a person unresponsive with arterial blood spurting. Apply pressure to the site and apply a tourniquet, remembering to release and re-set it every 10-15 minutes. While taking care of the bleeding you yell "Someone call 911." Do NOT yell "help!" Studies show people will not come to help, but someone will call 911.

Then, check the airway as you gently shake the person, "Hey are you okay?" (Yeah, sounds dumb but it's an important step because in other situations you wouldn't want to jump ahead and start CPR only to find the person had just been sleeping!) If something is blocking air, remove it (hard candy, vomit). Make sure the tongue hasn't fallen back into the throat. Check for breath.

Check for pulse.

If no breathing and no pulse, you are supposed to YELL, "No pulse, no breathing, starting CPR!" This alerts passersby that 1. you have an emergency and 2. you need help from others trained in CPR.

Then you'd give the initial breaths.

Answer 3

For an adult, immediately call the emergency number. For an infant or child, perform 1 minute of care and then call. Ideally, someone else can make the call so immediate care can be given to the victim.

Answer 4

Open the airway by the head tilt chin lift method and check for signs of life for 10 seconds.

Answer 5

The first step after determining if a person is unresponsive is to send someone for help, usually by calling 911.