First Aid
Unconscious or not breathing: what to do
What to do while the ambulance is on its way when someone has collapsed or is not breathing normally.
Call 108Ambulance
Because every minute without compressions cuts the chance of survival.
Do this now
- 01Shout for help and get somebody else to ring 108 while you stay with them.
- 02Tap their shoulders firmly and shout. If there is no response, act.
- 03Look at the chest for up to 10 seconds. Gasping is not breathing.
- 04If they are not breathing normally, start chest compressions immediately: heel of the hand on the centre of the chest, other hand on top, arms straight.
- 05Push hard and fast — about 5 to 6 cm deep, 100 to 120 times a minute. Let the chest come all the way back up between pushes.
- 06Do not stop until the ambulance crew take over or they start breathing.
- 07If they ARE breathing but unresponsive, roll them onto their side into the recovery position and stay with them.
Do not
- Do not stop to check the pulse. Untrained rescuers routinely get this wrong and lose minutes to it.
- Do not throw water on their face or slap them.
- Do not put anything in their mouth.
- Do not lift or prop them upright.
- Do not worry about breaking a rib. Ribs heal; a stopped heart does not wait.
What to tell the operator
- That the person is unconscious and not breathing
- Whether CPR has started
- Their age, roughly
- Your exact location and how to reach the door
Find help near you
See the nearest places with distance, whether they are open, a phone number and directions.
What this page cannot tell you
- Why they collapsed
- Whether the heart has stopped or they have merely fainted — treat it as the worse one