Online CPR Certification Blog

Steps to Perform CPR to Unresponsive Person

A sudden medical emergency can leave you feeling powerless and afraid. But there are steps you can take to help a person who has suffered a sudden injury or is in danger of succumbing to an illness.

If you see someone who is unresponsive and not breathing, the first thing you should do is call 911. Then, if you’re trained in CPR, begin chest compressions to help keep blood flowing to the brain.

This post discusses how to tell if a victim is unconscious and the steps to perform CPR to unresponsive person.

Who is an Unresponsive Victim? What are the Signs?

There are many reasons why someone might be unresponsive and unable to breathe properly on their own.

An unresponsive victim is someone who is not breathing or has no pulse. A person is also unresponsive if he or she does not respond to your voice or touch.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to perform CPR on an unresponsive victim, the first thing to do is to check if the person is actually unresponsive.

The signs of an unresponsive victim are:

• No response to loud tapping on the shoulder
• No blinking when a light is shown in the victim’s eyes
• No movement or breathing
• No response to verbal commands, such as “Are you OK?” or “Wake up!”
• Unconsciousness (passed out)

Inability to obey commands, such as “Squeeze my hand” (if the victim is conscious) is also a sign of unresponsiveness.

Steps to Perform CPR to Unresponsive Person: Helping an Unconcious Victims 

If you don’t have CPR training

If you dont have CPR first aid training, don’t perform chest compressions or attempt rescue breaths on an unresponsive person. Instead:

1. Dial 911 and,
2. Search for the nearest CPR-savvy bystander as you wait for paramedics.

After dialing 911, call the nearest passerby if you do not know what to do with an unresponsive person because every second counts.

Should I issue chest compressions if I don’t have CPR training?

According to the American Heart Association, CPR chest compressions should be performed on an unresponsive adult who has no pulse or who is not breathing normally.

However, if you don’t have any training in CPR, you may be hesitant about performing chest compressions on someone else because you’re afraid you might hurt them or make things worse by doing so incorrectly. In reality, it’s much safer than not doing anything at all.

If you’re trained in CPR: Perform CPR to unresponsive person

CPR training prepares you to handle such emergencies. Here’s what to do if the victim is unresponsive:

1. Check the scene and your surroundings. 

If someone is unresponsive, they might have been in a car accident or had a heart attack, so make sure you’re safe before you move them or start CPR.

2. Stop and assess the situation. 

Are there any injuries? How old is the victim? Do they have any medical conditions that could affect their breathing? Are they taking medications? Are they pregnant or overweight?

3. Check for breathing and pulse.

If you can’t find either of these signs, start CPR immediately by giving two quick breaths followed by 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute (about one every five seconds).

Shake the person’s shoulders to wake them up and ask if they are OK. If they respond or open their eyes, tell them that help is on its way and continue with these instructions. Also, Check if there is anything in the mouth that could be causing an obstruction (such as food or foreign objects).

4. Begin chest compressions 

Give 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute (about one every five seconds). You should be doing this on the center of the chest, about two finger-widths below their collarbone (or where their breastbone would be if they were wearing a bra).

Each compression should be at least 2 inches deep and last at least one second — but no more than two seconds — before releasing pressure on the chest so that it rises naturally during normal breathing.

5. Issue rescue breaths

Check for a pulse. If there is a pulse but no breathing, give rescue breaths (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).

Use your fingers and thumbs to pinch the victim’s nose closed while placing your lips over theirs; give two quick breaths into their mouth; release their nose; repeat until their chest rises with each breath.

Continue until emergency personnel arrive or until the victim starts breathing on his or her own again.

6. If an AED is available

Turn on the AED and follow the prompts and continue giving chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute.

Perform CPR to Unresponsive Person: The Importance of CPR Chest Compressions

The first act of CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is chest compressions. The goal of these compressions is to circulate blood and oxygen to your brain and vital organs. To do this effectively, you need to know how to do chest compressions properly.

CPR Chest Compressions: How They Work

When you perform CPR on an unresponsive victim, you are basically mimicking the heart’s pumping action in order to circulate blood through the body.

If you don’t perform chest compressions for long enough or without interruption, blood will pool in the lungs and brain, leading to serious consequences such as permanent brain damage or death.

Why chest compressions matter to unresponsive victims

The idea behind cardiopulmonary resuscitation is to keep blood flowing to your brain and other vital organs until help arrives or you’re able to get back into a normal breathing pattern.

That’s why chest compressions are so important — they circulate blood through your chest, keeping oxygen flowing to your heart and brain.

In most cases, chest compressions should help them regain consciousness quickly enough that they can resume breathing on their own or with minimal help from a bystander.

However, if one submerges under water for some time or is suffers from hypothermia, perform CPR to unresponsive person until medical personnel arrive at the scene.

What to Do After An Unresponsive Victim Begins to Respond

After an unresponsive victim begins to respond, the rescuer should continue to monitor the victim’s condition and provide medical care as necessary.

The rescuer should continue to check the responsiveness of the victim at regular intervals until emergency medical personnel arrive on scene. If the victim stops responding again, follow the above steps again or call 911 if you are alone and unable to assist.

What Emergencies Can Cause Unresponsiveness

There are several conditions that can cause someone to lose consciousness. Depending on the cause of the unresponsiveness, these conditions can be life-threatening.

The most common causes of an unresponsive person are:

• Medication side effects
• Dehydration or fever
• Infection or illness
• Fainting spells
• Drug overdose
• Mental health issues (including psychosis)
• Sleep disorders (such as narcolepsy)
• Sedative drugs or alcohol use
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Dehydration
• Cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain)
• Head injuries
• Stroke
• Alcohol poisoning
• Drug overdose
• Electrocution

The most common causes include:

1. Cardiac arrest (heart attack). 

When a person has had a heart attack and his or her heart stops beating properly, it’s called cardiac arrest. A person who has gone through a heart attack might not be able to speak or move because there isn’t enough oxygen reaching his or her brain.

A seizure can occur when the brain sends out electrical impulses that disrupt normal body functioning. This may cause convulsions, loss of consciousness, extreme changes in mood or behavior, or other symptoms depending on where in the brain the seizure occurs.

3. Diabetes complications . 

High blood sugar levels can cause a person to become confused and have difficulty breathing. In some cases, low blood sugar levels can also cause confusion and make it difficult for someone to respond appropriately when spoken to.

Identify the Cause of a Victim’s Unresponsiveness to Respond Appropriately

Being able to identify the cause of a victim’s unresponsiveness is important in determining which first aid interventions are appropriate.

For example, if the victim is unresponsive because they’ve had a seizure, you need to ensure that they don’t choke on their own vomit. If they’re unresponsive due to head trauma, they need to be moved with care so as not to cause further injury.

If you don’t know why someone is unconscious, it’s best to treat them as if they have a head injury and check for breathing by placing your ear next to their mouth and nose and listen closely for any sounds.

If you hear nothing or only very faint sounds, then immediately call 911 for an ambulance and begin CPR. If there are no signs of breathing or movement, then it means that there’s been some kind of brain damage or injury and you should also begin CPR immediately.

Last Words on How to Perform CPR to Unresponsive Person

If a person’s not responding to you, it can be hard to know what’s wrong. The first thing you should do is check their breathing and pulse. If they’re not breathing or have no pulse there are other ways of checking for life.

If you’re certain that the person has no pulse, call an ambulance immediately. If they do have a pulse but aren’t breathing, give them CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until help arrives.

CPR chest compressions are important because they provide oxygenated blood flow to all parts of the body and keep organs alive until medical personnel arrive on scene.