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The three main aims are to maintain airway, breathing and circulation, in that order.

In an unconscious patient:

Airway - to clear the airway, first have a look to see if there is anything in the mouth blocking the airway. If not then lift the head up slightly so that the head is in a 'sniffing' position (this is known as the head tilt, chin lift manouvre) However, if there is a possibility of a head, neck or back injury, be very cautious of moving the person at all.

Breathing - To assess the breathing place your ear next to the patients mouth, while at the same time looking at the chest. This way you can listen and feel for any breathing with your ear, and look for any rise and fall of the chest at the same time.

Circulation - To check for a heart rate, the best place in an unconscious patient is the carotid pulse, which is on the side of the neck.

If the patient is not breathing or has no pulse - commence CPR.

NOTE: These are rough guidelines and a first aid course is recommended to learn proper techniques for CPR.

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16y ago

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