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When an AED arrives, use it immediately. Turn it on and follow the prompts, as it will instruct you on what to do. Place the adult pads as directed on a bare, dry chest. Remember the special situations to consider (S.H.I.P. – sweaty or wet, hairy chest, implantable device, medicine patch.)
IF YOU ARE ALONE with an ADULT victim who is unresponsive, have no mobile device and no one comes when you yell, CALL FIRST! Call 911 and get an AED before you even check for breathing. If you then determine the victim is not breathing, use the AED immediately. Place the pads on a bare, dry chest as directed by the pictures. Start CPR on firm, flat surface when the AED instructs you to do so but stop CPR if the victim becomes responsive.
The information presented below is a review for our class participants. It does not replace a training course but is to be used as a refresher to remind of the skills that were learned so rescuers are prepared in an emergency.
American Heart Association Adult Chain of Survival for an
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
If the victim does become responsive, do not remove the pads or turn off the AED. The AED will continue to reanalyze the victim's heart rhythm every 2 minutes, but will not deliver a shock unless needed. Stay with the victim and keep the person calm until paramedics arrive.
Here is a reminder of the steps for high-quality ADULT CPR paired with use of an AED:
Remain calm and try your best. Any attempt at CPR is better than no attempt!
Remember to always protect yourself by verifying that a scene is safe and using gloves and other personal protection equipment whenever possible in a medical emergency. (If the scene is not safe, is there anything you can do to make it safe?)
ADULTS (puberty+): If you determine an adult is unresponsive, yell for help!
If someone comes after you yell, have them call Emergency Response (911) and get an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), if available. Callers should stay on the phone to answer any questions the dispatcher asks. If you are alone and have a cell phone, call 911 yourself and place the phone on speaker mode to communicate with the dispatcher while continuing to assess/treat the victim.
Check for breathing 5-10 seconds; if no visible chest rise or victim is only gasping, CPR is needed. Bare the chest and make sure victim is lying on a firm, flat surface. When performing CPR, always follows the C-A-B sequence of Compressions-Airway-Breathing (this changed with the 2010 update.) Place heel of one hand in the center of the chest on the lower half of the breastbone. Place the other hand on top of the first hand and start compressions! You will need to press hard for compressions to be effective.
Press down on lower half of breastbone AT LEAST 2 inches. This may take a great deal of effort! Be sure to let the chest come back up to its normal position after every compression. The rate for performing compressions is BETWEEN 100 AND 120 per minute and will allow adequate blood flow throughout the body.
If you are willing and able to give breaths: after delivering 30 compressions, open the airway by tilting the head back, pinch the nose closed, and attempt 2 gentle breaths in less than 10 seconds. Watch for the chest to begin to rise to know your breaths are going in and try not to over-ventilate! (If you have a pocket mask available, it will not be necessary to pinch the nose as it covers the mouth and nose.) If your first breath does not go in, let the head go back to its normal position. Open the airway again and attempt the second breath. Resume compressions and continue the cycle, switching rescuers at least every 2 minutes for most effective compressions.
If you are not willing or able to give breaths, continue compressions (Hands-Only CPR) until someone with more advanced training takes over.