When someone is unresponsive, quickly assessing their breathing and pulse is paramount. This immediate evaluation forms the foundation for determining necessary life-saving interventions. Swift and accurate assessment is the initial step in providing care.
Understanding the Time Limit
The recommended maximum time for assessing both breathing and pulse is 10 seconds. This strict time limit minimizes delays in initiating life-saving interventions, such as chest compressions. Delaying intervention can have severe consequences, including brain damage within minutes. Prompt action helps ensure oxygen-rich blood flows to the brain and other vital organs, which can significantly improve outcomes.
How to Check for Breathing and Pulse
To check for breathing, observe the person’s chest and abdomen for movement, like rising and falling. Listen for breath sounds near their mouth and nose and feel for air movement against your cheek. This visual, auditory, and tactile assessment helps determine if the person is breathing normally. Gasping or irregular breathing is not considered normal and should be treated as absent breathing.
To check for a pulse in adults and children, locate the carotid artery in the neck. This artery is situated on the side of the windpipe, just below the jawbone. Place your index and middle fingers gently in the groove between the windpipe and neck muscles, feeling for a pulse. For infants, the brachial artery is the preferred location, found on the inner upper arm between the elbow and shoulder. Use two fingers to gently press this area to feel for the pulse.
Immediate Steps After Assessment
If no breathing or pulse is detected within the 10-second assessment, immediately begin chest compressions and activate emergency services. High-quality chest compressions are essential to circulate blood and oxygen to the brain and other organs. Continue performing compressions, at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, until professional help arrives or the person shows signs of life.
If a pulse is present but the person is not breathing, this indicates respiratory arrest, and rescue breaths are necessary. For adults, provide one rescue breath every 5 to 6 seconds, ensuring each breath makes the chest rise. For children and infants, give one breath every 3 to 5 seconds. Continue monitoring the pulse and breathing, preparing to initiate chest compressions if the pulse becomes absent. If both breathing and pulse are present but abnormal, such as a weak pulse or continued gasping, maintain continuous monitoring and ensure emergency services are called.