Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5-4. The recovery position.
Remember
• Never lay an unconscious victim flat on his or her back, except to begin CPR or res-
cue breathing.
• Never give fluids to an unconscious victim.
• Never tilt an unconscious victim's head forward with a pillow.
CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of those things you hope that you never have to
use. When the heart stops, CPR may be the only thing that can prevent death. To properly learn
CPR, you must take a course from a certified instructor using a CPR demonstration dummy.
Too much force will break ribs or cause other serious internal injuries, while too little force will
be insufficient to pump the blood through the victim's heart. The CPR dummy gives feedback
to help you get a feel for the proper timing, head tilt, and the amount of force to apply for CPR
compressions. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor: get yourself certified in CPR by the
American Heart Association or American Red Cross. A summary of the procedure for CPR is
included for your reference.
Caution
: Do not attempt CPR solely on the basis of these guidelines (without proper train-
ing) unless no CPR-trained person is present and the victim has no pulse—in other words, un-
less there is no alternative. For a more detailed description of the first five steps, see the previ-
ous procedures for “Unconscious Victim.”
