AMERICAN RED CROSS
ADULT CPR
RECOGNIZING AND
RESPONDING TO AN
EMERGENCY
KEY POINTS
 By recognizing an emergency and
taking immediate action to help, you
give a suddenly ill or injured person
the best chance for survival
 Emergencies can often be recognized
because of unusual sights,
appearances, behaviors, odors or
noises
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
TO ACT
KEY POINTS
 There are many reasons why
bystanders do not get involved in an
emergency situation
 It is normal to feel hesitant or unsure
about what to do
COMMON BARRIERS
 The presence of other people may lead one
to assume that someone else will get
involved
 Uncertainty about the person’s condition.
 Type of injury or illness.
 Fear of catching a disease.
 Fear of doing something wrong
 Fear of being sued
 Being unsure of when to call 9-1-1
Ways to overcoming
barriers to act
 Getting trained in first aid, CPR or AED
 Training to develop the confidence to act,
which enables you to take charge until
more advanced help arrives
 Avoiding contact with blood or body fluids
by using protective barriers and following
standard precautions.
 Being familiar with Good Samaritan laws
and obtaining consent
GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS
GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS
 All states have enacted Good
Samaritan Laws to protect people
who voluntarily give emergency care,
without accepting anything in return.
GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS
 These laws may protect you from
legal liability as long as you –
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Act in good faith
Are not deliberately negligent or reckless
Act within the scope of your training
Not abandon the person after starting to
give care
OBTAINING CONSENT
OBTAINING CONSENT
 You must obtain permission (consent)
to help an ill or injured person.
 If a person refuses care, at least call
9-1-1 or the local emergency
number.
OBTAINING CONSENT
 A person who is unconscious,
confused or seriously ill may not be
able to grant consent. In such cases,
consent is implied. Implied consent
means that a person would agree to
the care if he or she could.
OBTAINING CONSENT
 If the person is a minor, get consent
from a parent or guardian, if present;
otherwise, consent is implied. Be sure
to notify a parent or guardian as soon
as possible.
 Implied consent for a child in a lifethreatening situation means that the
parent or guardian would agree for
care to be given.
OBTAINING CONSENT
 To obtain consent –
 State your name
 Tell the person you are trained in first
aid.
 Ask the person if you can help.
 Explain what you think may be wrong.
 Explain what you plan to do.
EMERGENCY ACTION
STEPS
KEY POINTS
 Always follow the emergency action
steps: CHECK – CALL – CARE in any
emergency:
 CHECK the scene for safety and then
CHECK the person for life-threatening
conditions.
 CALL 9-1-1 or the local emergency
number.
 CARE for the ill or injured person.
KEY POINTS
 If you are alone, you must decide to
Call First or
Care First
KEY POINTS
 Call first situations are likely to be
cardiac emergencies.
 Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency
number before giving care for An unconscious adult or adolescent age
12 or older
 A witnessed sudden collapse of a child or
infant.
 An unconscious infant or child known to
be at high risk for heart problems
KEY POINTS
 Care First situations are likely to be
related to breathing emergencies.
 Care first (give 2 minutes of care,
then call 9-1-1 or your local
emergency number) for
 An unwitnessed collapse of an
unconscious person younger than age
12.
 Any victim of a drowning.
MOVING AN ILL
OR INJURED PERSON
 Usually, when you give first aid, you
will not have to face hazards that
require moving the person
immediately.
 Moving a person can lead to further
injury. You should move a person
only when you can do so safely and
when there is an immediate danger.
CHECKING A
CONSCIOUS ADULT
KEY POINTS
 For purposes of first aid care, an
“adult” is defined as someone who is
about 12 years of age or older.
 After checking the scene, you should
check first for life-threatening
conditions.
 Some conditions may become lifethreatening if not recognized and cared
for early.
KEY POINTS
 Obtain consent to give care
 A head-to-toe examination should be
done to check the conscious adult.
 Care for the person based on the
conditions found.
 Take steps to minimize shock
RECOGNIZING AND
CARING FOR SHOCK
KEY POINTS
 Shock is a life-threatening condition
in which not enough blood is being
delivered to all parts of the body and
can result from injury or illness
 Shock is likely to develop after any
serious injury or illness including
severe bleeding, serious internal
injury, significant fluid loss or other
conditions
KEY POINTS
 A person showing signals of shock
needs immediate medical attention
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Restlessness or irritability
Altered level of consciousness
Nausea or vomiting
Pale, ashen, cool, moist skin
Rapid breathing
Excessive thirst
KEY POINTS
 Caring for shock includes
 Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number
immediately.
 Have the person lie down
 Elevate the person’s legs about 12 inches unless
you suspect head, neck or back injuries or
possible broken bones of the hips or legs.
 Control any bleeding
 Keep the person from getting chilled or
overheated
CHECKING AN
UNCONSCIOUS ADULT
KEY POINTS
 First, check to make sure the scene is
safe
 Check the person for life-threatening
conditions using the “ABCs.”
 A – Airway
 B – Breathing
 C - Circulation
KEY POINTS
 Life-threatening Conditions
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Unconscious
Not breathing or difficulty breathing
Choking
Persistent chest pain
No signs of life
Severe bleeding or burns
Shock
BREATHING
EMERGENCIES
BREATHING EMERGENCIES
 A breathing emergency occurs when
a person is having trouble breathing
(respiratory distress) or is not
breathing at all (respiratory arrest).
 Breathing emergencies can be caused
by injury, illness or disease
KEY POINTS
 Choking is a breathing emergency
that can lead to death
 A person’s airway can be partially or
completely obstructed.
 A person with a partial airway
obstruction can still move air to and
from the lungs, so he or she can
cough in an attempt to dislodge the
object
KEY POINTS
 A person with a complete airway
obstruction is unable to cough, speak
or breath.
 A person who is choking will clutch
his or her throat in a gesture known
as the universal sign of choking
Key Points
 New method is 5 back blows (to the
middle of the shoulder blades) and 5
abdominal thrusts
CARDIAC EMERGENCIES
CARDIAC CHAIN OF SURVIVAL
 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
alone is not enough to help someone
survive a cardiac arrest. Advanced
medical care is needed as soon as
possible. This is why it is so important
to call 9-1-1 immediately
CARDIAC CHAIN OF SURVIVAL
 The greatest chance of survival from
cardiac arrest occurs when:
 1. Early recognition and early access.
The sooner 9-1-1 is called, the sooner
early advanced medical care arrives.
 2. Early CPR. CPR helps circulate
blood containing oxygen to the vital
organs until an AED is ready to use or
advanced medical personnel arrive.
CARDIAC CHAIN OF SURVIVAL
 3. Early Defibrillation. Most victims of
sudden cardiac arrest need an
electrical shock (defibrillation). Each
minute that defibrillation is delayed
reduces the chance of survival by
about 10 percent.
CARDIAC CHAIN OF SURVIVAL
 4. Early advanced medical care. This
is given by trained medical personnel
who give further medical care and
transport the victim of cardiac arrest
to a hospital.
CARDIOPULMONARY
RESUSCITATION (CPR)
KEY POINTS
 If a person is in cardiac arrest, he or
she is unconscious, not breathing and
shows no other signs of life.
 CPR can help circulate blood that
contains oxygen to vital organs by a
combination of chest compressions
and rescue breaths.
KEY POINTS
 Place overlapping hands in center of chest
on the lower half of the sternum.
 While keeping elbows straight, compress
chest 1 1/2 to 2 inches.
 Breathe until the chest rises (about 1
second per breath.
 Perform cycles of 30 compressions (18
seconds or 100/minute) and 2 breaths.
UNCONSCIOUS CHOKING
KEY POINTS
 If you attempt rescue breaths but are
unable to make the chest clearly rise, you
must act quickly to get air into the person.
 Care for an unconscious choking adult is
very similar to adult CPR with the exception
that you look for a foreign object between
compressions and breaths.
 Chest compressions are used to help force
air from the person’s lungs to dislodge the
object.