First Aid: Responding to an Unconscious and Unresponsive Individual

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Learning how to deliver first aid can be extremely useful. As well as giving you the skills to support people with minor injuries, a first aid HLTAID004 course can also help you to prove life-saving care if someone has suffered a serious injury. This article details everything you need to know about how to approach someone who is unconscious and unresponsive following an injury.

Check for danger

The first thing you need to do is check the area for signs of danger. While your first instinct may be to rush towards the injured person so you can provide assistance, you need to hold back. Rushing in could put you at risk of injury or death. For example, if a person has been electrocuted and they are still in contact with the power source, you could receive a shock if you touch them. Before doing anything, you need to carefully assess the situation to ensure it is safe to approach the casualty. For example, if you are responding to a road traffic incident, you need to check that no other vehicles are approaching which could place you at risk.

Check the airways

Once you have established that it is safe to approach the casualty, the first thing you need to do is check that their airways are clear. During an accident, it is very easy for people to swallow their tongue, especially if they have been knocked unconscious. To check an airway, you should place the injured person on their back and then tilt their head backwards by holding their chin with one hand and placing the other hand on their forehead. You then need to rest your one ear close to their mouth so you can hear and feel any breathing which is taking place. You should also look down along the person's chest for any signs that it is rising or falling as they inhale and exhale. If the person is breathing, you should place them in the recovery position. If they are not, you will need to start performing CPR.

Performing CPR

When performing CPR, you should perform 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths. Continue to perform CRP until first responders arrive on the scene.

If you would like to find out more, you should make contact with a company which provides first aid HLTAID004 courses today. A member of the staff will be happy to offer further assistance.

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