What to do if someone is not breathing
What should I do if someone has stopped
breathing?
- Quickly dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.
- Move the person so they are laying on their back.
- Open their airway by putting one hand on their
forehead, gently tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Look
for anything that might be blocking their nose or mouth and remove
it.
- Put your hands on the centre of the person's chest and,
with the heel of your hand (between the bottom of your thumb and
your wrist), press down four to five centimetres. This is one chest
compression. After every 30 chest compressions give the
person two breaths.
- To give a breath, pinch the person's nose, put your mouth over
their mouth and blow steadily for one second.
- Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two
breaths until help arrives or the person begins to breathe
normally.
- If you can't or don't want to give rescue breaths,
give chest compressions alone.
For more information and to see a video about how to resuscitate
someone, go to website of the British Red
Cross.
Fainting