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 'Rescue breaths' is the new term for mouth-to-mouth-resuscitation. If a casualty isn't breathing on their own, you may have to give rescue breaths.
By breathing air into a casualty's lungs you introduce vital oxygen into their system.
This may be enough to get the casualty breathing again independently, but if it isn't you'll need to combine rescue breaths with chest compressions - cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Actions
Place a hand on casualty's forehead and gently back tilt their head
Look in their mouth and remove any obvious obstructions
Place fingertips of your other hand under casualty's chin and lift gently
Taking your hand from their forehead, pinch soft part of their nose
Open their mouth and take a deep breath, filling your lungs with air
Place your lips around casualty's mouth, ensuring a good seal
Blow steadily, watching to see casualty's chest rise
Keeping casualty's head tilted, remove your mouth and watch their chest fall
Further action
Repeat this once, to give two rescue breaths in total, and then check for signs of circulation by looking, listening and feeling for movement, breath or improved colour.
If there's no circulation, start resuscitation.
Resuscitation - adult
Knowing how to perform resuscitation could save somebody's life.
What is it?
This technique is for an adult casualty who is unresponsive and isn't breathing normally.
If you're on your own, call an ambulance before you start resuscitation.
Actions
Check for vital signs
Check for response - gently shake casualty's shoulder and ask if they're all right
If there's no response, shout for help and open casualty's airway
Check for breathing - look for chest movement, listen for sounds of breathing and feel for casualty's breath on your cheek
Do this for ten seconds
Give chest compressions
Giving chest compressions
Place your hands on centre of casualty's chest and, with the heel of your hands (which should be linked one over the other), press down 30 times
Depress chest to a third of its depth (4-5cm)
Do this at a rate of 100 times a minute
After performing 30 chest compressions, tilt casualty's head and lift their chin
Give two rescue breaths
Further action
Continue this sequence until emergency help arrives or the casualty starts to show some response.
See resuscitating babies or resuscitating children if the casualty is not an adult.
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