 Problem
You come home from a long days work. Your wife greets you with a warm kiss. As you begin to ask her how her day went, she places her right hand over chest and falls to the floor.
 Step 1
Does your wife appear to be unconscious?
If no, there is no need for CPR. Make sure she is not choking, if she is- ask how you can help. If not choking, ask her what is wrong or if she needs help. Perform first aid if required.
If yes, proceed to step 2.
Step 2
Tap the victim (your wife) and shout, looking for a response.
Does the victim respond?
If yes, there is no need for CPR. Ask her what is wrong or if she needs help. Perform first aid if required.
If not, proceed to step 3.
Step 3
Do not move the victim. Check for breathing for no more than 10 seconds.
Do you detect breathing?
If yes, position the victim in a recovery position and continue to monitor until emergency responders arrive.
If not, proceed to step 4.
Step 4
Open the air way using the head-tilt chin lift technique and give two rescue breaths.
Make sure that you see the chest rise and fall while giving the rescue breaths to ensure sufficient oxygenation
Do you detect breathing?
If yes, position the victim in a recovery position and continue to monitor until emergency responders arrive.
If not, proceed to step 5.
Step 5
Check for a pulse by placing you index and middle finger on the carotid artery applying slight pressure to feel the artery palpate or throb.
Is there a pulse?
If yes, position the victim in a recovery position and continue to monitor until emergency responders arrive.
If not, place victim (your wife) flat on her back and perform 30 chest compressions. Try and place palms between nipples. Ensure that compressions are brisk, a little less than one second per compression.
Step 6
After you have completed your first set of CPR (2 breaths, 30 compressions). Repeat two more times before stopping to recheck for breathing or circulation. Total of 6 breaths and 90 compressions.
Step 7
Once you have completed a full cycle of CPR: 3 sets of 2 rescue breaths to 30 compressions, re-check if victim is breathing and recheck if the pulse has returned.
Is victim breathing or do they have a strong pulse?
If yes, position the victim in a recovery position and continue to monitor until emergency responders arrive.
If not, proceed to step 8.
Step 8
Complete another cycle of CPR (2 breaths, 30 compressions) three times for total of 6 breaths and 90 compressions. Continue until rescue workers arrive. CPR can be very tiring, even after one cycle. It is important not to wear yourself out in the process and utilize help if available.
Step 9
When in an emergency, it is easy for your mind to go blank. If you can simply remember A-B-C it may aid in keeping your thoughts together.
A- AIRWAY Is the victim chocking, is something blocking the airway?
B- BREATHING Is the victim breathing?
C- CIRCULATION Is there a pulse?
Step 10
The American Heart Association (AHA) has recently added 'D'
D- DEFIBRILLATOR
If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available, read quick and simple instructions on how to apply and place on victim as pictured in instructions. This will tell whether or not the victim needs to be shocked in order to increase chances of survival.
Ensure victim is NOT in or near water before delivering a shock, even if indicated to do so by the AED. Also, ensure that nobody is touching the victim as a shock is being administered as it will cause them to be shocked as well.
Step 11
FYI: Guidelines are changing as of 2012!
The sequence of steps in CPR has changed from Airway-Breathing-Chest compressions (ABC) to Chest compressions-Airway-Breathing (CAB) to reduce the time to initiation of chest compressions. This change puts stronger emphasis on compressions of the chest for several reasons. It not only simplifies CPR, but is hoped to improve survival rates, by avoiding delays in starting effective CPR. In fact, for most adults with SCA (sudden cardiac arrest), bystander CPR that only uses chest compressions (Hands-only CPR) appears to have similar success as compared to the older, more conventional sequence of ABC. (However, it should be noted that this does not apply to children, and that the ABC sequence is still recommended for children.)(AHA, 2012)
*New CPR scenario coming soon, hospital setting with use of AED*
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