How to help someone unresponsive and not breathing

 

When someone within your vicinity suddenly drops down for no apparent reason, that already counts as a medical emergency that could have dozens of causes. But since most people aren't doctors, it's no one's job to know what's wrong. According to public health expert Capt. Martin Sanders, it is one's civic duty to take care of each other and aid other people in similar emergencies. The job is to ensure that the unresponsive person is kept alive until the emergency response team arrives.

Image source: medicalnewstoday.com

The first thing you need to do is to see if you can get a response from the unresponsive person. To do so, shake their shoulders or speak to them using a loud voice. If they don't respond, immediately check if they are breathing or not. Look, listen, and feel for breaths near their nose. Feel the air from their nose when they exhale or see their chest rise and fall as they breathe. If 10 seconds have passed without them breathing, ask someone to call 911. If you are alone with the victim, call 911 and place the phone on speaker mode.

If there is a crowd surrounding you and the victim, tell them to back off and give you space. If you are in a government building or a commercial complex, ask people to call security and get an AED or an automated external defibrillator from any nearby clinic or nearby pharmacy.

Image source: medicalnewstoday.com

After delegating some work, proceed to do chest compressions on the unresponsive person. Place both hands at the center of the victim's chest and push down firmly at a regular rate until help arrives. According to Martin Sanders, doing more than what was mentioned, like performing an emergency endotracheal intubation without prior experience, will put the victim's life in further danger as the blood may fill their lungs, making the situation worse. If the victim regains consciousness, ask them to remain lying down or sit them up and wait for the paramedics to arrive.

Throughout his career, Capt. Martin Sanders, Ph.D., had been deeply involved in biosafety and biosecurity issues both in the US and abroad. He specializes in biological safety, field medical operations, biosecurity, occupational safety and health, infectious disease epidemiology, environmental health services, and occupational health and wellness programs. For more insightful reads on public safety, visit this website.

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, or the United States Government.