THE CPR GALS

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Disaster Education
How to Check an Unresponsive Person
How to Check an Unresponsive Person
Always Remember - your safety is your number one priority!
Approach the victim slowly, looking for clues on what happened to this person.
If it is not safe to approach, Stop.
Keep others back, and Call 9-1-1.
An Unresponsive Victim may be Conscious or Unconscious.
Tap the victim's shoulders and shout "Are you ok?"
You may want to do this a couple of times.
If you know the victim's name, use it - "J.C., are you ok?"
If the victim responds with a grunt or a movement of some sort, he is conscious
but still may not be responsive. Call for help from bystanders.
Make sure 9-1-1 has been called, and have someone get the First Aid Kits and
an AED, if available. Monitor the victim's breathing until EMS arrives or he "passes out".
If he passes out, or you find someone who does not respond to the "tap and shout",
you now have an unconscious unresponsive victim.
The first thing you need to do is get the victim on his back, on a hard flat surface.
You may need help from a bystander or two, depending on your size and strength and the victim's size.
Do the best you can and support the neck from moving around in case of spinal injuries.
Here is a video that shows a single rescuer "roll over".
The next think you want to do is the "Head Tilt - Chin Lift".
Then "Look Listen and Feel for Breathing". Put your ear above the victim's mouth
while you are looking toward the chest to see if it rises and falls.
If the victim has on a heavy coat or a few layers that are easily "removed", go ahead and do that.
(for example, unzip coats or jackets and move them of the chest.)
The head tilting back straightens out the airway. Since the tongue is attached
to the lower jaw, by pulling the jaw up, the tongue is moved from the opening
of the airway. If the victim starts breathing, keep the head tilted, monitor and wait for EMS.
If the victim is breathing, and you need to leave the scene to call for help
or get equipment, put the victim in the recovery position.
This will prevent aspiration should the victim vomit.
Here is a video that shows placing someone into the recovery position.
Some will instruct you to roll the victim toward you.
THE CPR GALS recommend rolling the victim away from you.
(First of all, it is easier and safer for you to push than pull.
Second of all, if the victim is vomiting, you do not want that body fluid on you!)
If there are bystanders that can make the call and go for equipment, and you are keeping the head tilted
and monitoring, you can also be asking questions and gathering information for EMS when they arrive.
If the victim is not breathing, or is gasping in an "unusual" way, you will need to start care.
This you will earn in the classroom.
REMEMBER YOUR SAFTY IS YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!
If you enter a room and see a person on the ground who appears to be unconscious, approach slowly -
"looking up and down and all around, while taking a little sniff."
If you discover several people down, LEAVE!
Close the door behind you. Shout for everyone to evacuate the building.
When you pass through a door, close it.
Meet at the designated meeting area and Call 9-1-1.
Something terrible wrong happened. It could be some sort of toxic gas.
It could be there was only one or two victims, but as others went in to help,
and did not pay attention to the scene, also became victims.
Tell the 9-1-1 Dispatcher what you saw. Chances are, Hazmat will be the ones
to check out the scene.
If a scene (inside or outside) should ever become unsafe, leave and get to safety.
If you can get your victim out with you, quickly, go ahead and do so.
If not, just get out!
Do not become another victim!