Firstly, you need to consider your safety, and deal with any danger in the surrounding area. If everything is safe, use first aid and if necessary get someone to call for an ambulance. First aid can be anything from dressing a small wound, controlling bleeding in larger wounds, or providing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Remember the ABC of resuscitation (airway, breathing, circulation)
Place casualty in the recovery position - this ensures that an unconscious person maintains an open airway, and that the tongue cannot be swallowed, and any vomit or fluid will not cause choking.
Ensure the casualty is lying on their side, supported by one leg and one arm. Keep the airway open by tilting their head and lifting the chin.
If the airway is not open and the person is not breathing, begin mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Airway
To open the airway, tilt the head back by lifting the chin with one hand, while pushing down on the forehead with the other. Once the airway is open, look for chest movement (chest will rise) and listen and feel for breathing by placing an ear close to the person’s mouth.
Breathing
If opening the airway does not cause the person to begin to breathe spontaneously then mouth to mouth resuscitation must be started. To do this, you must:
1. Tilt the persons head back, lift up the chin, and pinch the nostrils together.
2. Take a deep breath and seal your mouth over the other person’s mouth. If you have a disposable mask with you, then you should use this.
3. Breathe slowly into the person's mouth, and check that their chest rises.
4. Repeat until the person starts breathing or until assistance arrives.
Circulation
If there is no heart beat and no pulse and if no trained medical help is available, start external cardiac massage. To do this you should:
1. Place the heel of your hand on the middle half of their breastbone, and the heel of the other hand on top of the first.
2. Keeping your elbows straight, press downwards firmly and quickly with hands then relax and repeat compression. Press down approximately 2 inches. The rate of compression should be approximately 100 compressions per minute. Do 15 compressions, and then give mouth to mouth respiration twice. Then repeat until assistance arrives.
