This cheat sheet covers the basic response steps for a person who collapses, is unresponsive, or may not be breathing normally. Students need these steps because quick action can help keep blood moving to the brain and heart until emergency medical services arrive. It is designed as a simple reference for health class, safety training, and review before certified CPR practice.
Key Facts
- Check the scene first: if the area is unsafe, do not approach until it is safe or help arrives.
- Check responsiveness by tapping the person and shouting, "Are you okay?" before starting emergency steps.
- Call 911 or tell a specific person to call 911 and bring an AED as soon as someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
- For hands-only CPR on a teen or adult, place both hands in the center of the chest and push hard and fast.
- The correct compression rate is 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
- For adults and most teens, compress the chest about 2 inches deep and let the chest fully rise after each push.
- Turn on the AED, follow the voice prompts, place pads on the bare chest as shown, and make sure no one is touching the person during analysis or shock.
- After a shock or a no-shock message, restart CPR immediately unless the person wakes up, breathes normally, or trained help takes over.
Vocabulary
- CPR
- CPR means cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a set of actions that helps move blood and oxygen when a person's heart or breathing has stopped.
- AED
- An AED is an automated external defibrillator that checks heart rhythm and can give an electric shock if needed.
- Compression
- A compression is a firm downward push on the center of the chest to help circulate blood.
- Responsiveness
- Responsiveness means whether a person reacts to voice, touch, or pain.
- Normal Breathing
- Normal breathing is steady breathing that is not gasping, weak, or absent.
- Scene Safety
- Scene safety means checking for dangers such as traffic, fire, electricity, water, or violence before helping.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to call 911 first is wrong because CPR and AED use are temporary support until emergency medical services arrive.
- Pushing too slowly or too softly is wrong because weak compressions may not move enough blood to the brain and heart.
- Leaning on the chest between compressions is wrong because the heart needs full chest recoil to refill with blood.
- Touching the person while the AED analyzes or shocks is wrong because it can interfere with the AED and may shock a rescuer.
- Stopping CPR for a long time to check for breathing is wrong because long pauses reduce blood flow and lower the chance of survival.
Practice Questions
- 1 If you give compressions at 110 compressions per minute for 2 minutes, about how many compressions do you give?
- 2 At a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, about how many compressions should happen in 30 seconds?
- 3 A student starts CPR at 10:04 and the AED arrives at 10:07. How many minutes of CPR were given before the AED arrived?
- 4 Why is it important to make one specific person call 911 and another specific person get the AED instead of saying, "Someone call for help"?