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Healthcare Provider BLS Certification | Perform Adult CPR

Begin CPR

If the victim is not breathing and has no pulse, begin CPR. Take your hand from the top of the victim’s head and place the heel of your palm on the lower half of the sternum between the victim's nipples, Now take your other hand, place it over the hand on the victim's chest and interlock your fingers. Position yourself so that your arms are perpendicular to the victim. Compress the victim’s chest at least 2 inches or 5cm. Compress at a rate of 100-120 per minute. Be sure to push hard and fast. Perform 30 compressions and then give 2 breaths. After 5 cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths, reassess the victim starting with a pulse check. If necessary, continue CPR with a compression to ventilation ratio of 30:2 and reassess after every 5 cycles.

If the victim is not breathing and has no pulse, begin CPR. After 5 cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths, reassess the victim.

To give rescue breaths, start by opening the victim’s airway. This is done with the head tilt/chin lift. Place your hand on the victim’s forehead while gently lifting the victim's chin with 2 fingers from your other hand. While you can’t swallow your tongue, when unconscious it can fall to the back of the mouth and block the victim’s airway. Sometimes the head tilt/chin lift will cause spontaneous respirations.

Spinal/Cervical Injury

If you suspect a spinal or cervical injury, do not perform a head tilt/chin lift. Open the airway with the “Jaw Thrust Maneuver”. With the heals of your palms, stabilize the victim’s head. Then place the middle two fingers of each hand, under the bony projection of the jaw below each ear. Then thrust the jaw upward without moving the victim’s head. This will effectively open the victim’s airway.

If you suspect a spinal or cervical injury, do not perform a head tilt/chin lift. Open the airway with the Jaw Thrust Maneuver

Rescue Breathing

If the victim has a pulse but is not breathing, provide rescue breathing at a rate of 1 breath every 6th second. The breaths should be sufficient to make the chest rise and be delivered over 1 ½ - 2 seconds. Deliver 10 rescue breaths (about 1 minute). Then re-assess the victim starting this time with a pulse check.

If the victim has a pulse but is not breathing, provide rescue breathing at a rate of 1 breath every 6th second.

IMPORTANT:
Be careful not to breathe with too much force or volume. This will cause abdominal distension. The victim’s abdomen will swell and make it difficult to ventilate.

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