What do I do if someone stops breathing?
Anyone who is with you should immediately summon emergency aid, but don’t waste a second shifting the patient or calling for help yourself. Your one aim is to get air into his body as fast as possible, and you have three priorities: make sure his air passages are clear; breathe air into his lungs; and stimulate his heart if it has stopped beating. In a baby or small child who has been choking or gasping for breath before becoming unconscious, the air passage is probably blocked by some object stuck in his throat, so immediately hold the child up by the heels, or over your lap with his head down, and slap his back sharply several times. This alone will probably be enough to dislodge the object and enable breathing to start again. In an adult, clear the air passage by bending the patient’s head back as far as it will go, pressing firmly on the forehead or pulling on his hair. At the same time, push the lower jaw upward and forward until the teeth meet. (Don’t be afraid to pull the head really well back—it is surprising just how far back the neck can stretch). In this position, the tongue cannot fall back and block the back of the throat and that may be the only reason why an unconscious person cannot breathe. He may now gasp and start breathing. If not, quickly check the inside of his mouth for any other obstructions—false or broken teeth, blood, vomit, or mucus—that may be blocking the air passage. If this happens, reach into his mouth with your fingers and scoop out the contents fast. If he still doesn’t start to breathe, you must start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation immediately.
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Time: November 22, 2008, 12:02 am
[…] compressions. Counting aloud will help you. If you have help, one person should do mouth-to-mouth breathing only; the other should do the heart compressions. The two of you should not act simultaneously, but […]