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When encountering an unconscious patient who is not breathing, it is essential to act quickly and effectively to increase their chances of survival.
As soon as you realize the patient is not breathing, call the emergency services. For every minute it takes for an AED to arrive, the person's chance of survival drops by 10%. Ensuring the EMS are on the way and effective CPR will increase the patient's chance of survival.
When more than one rescuer is available, one should start resuscitation while the other goes for assistance and tries to find an AED. With adults, if only one rescuer is present, use the call-first approach: call for assistance as soon as you find out they're not breathing and then start CPR.
For children, infants, and drowning victims, if only one rescuer is present, use the call-fast approach: perform resuscitation for one minute and then go for assistance. To minimize interruptions in CPR, it may be possible to carry an infant or a small child with you while summoning help.
When you dial for the EMS, ask for an ambulance. If there is someone with you, ask them to call if possible, otherwise, call them yourself. Activate the speaker function on your mobile phone to aid communication with the ambulance service.
You can get additional help on CPR by speaking to the dispatcher when you call the EMS. By having your phone on speakerphone, they can guide you through the CPR process, whether it is full CPR or chest compressions only.
If you are on your own, do not leave the victim to find an AED. Instead, start CPR immediately to keep blood circulating, as leaving them will reduce their chance of survival.
