What should I do?

1 Sit them on the floor, with their back against something that won’t move, like a wall. Bend their legs up.

2 Get someone to call 999, or go yourself and come back straight away. Tell the ambulance you think it’s a heart attack.

3 Loosen anything around their neck, like a tie.

4 Stay with them, keep them calm and reassure them. Don’t give them anything to eat or drink.

5 If they become unconscious, put them in the recovery position.

6 If they stop normal breathing, start CPR.

How will I know? – Could it be a heart attack?

The person may have pain in the centre of their chest and/ or aching in their arms, neck and jaw. They may feel sick, breathless, dizzy and can look paler and sweaty.

Keep going until:

• professional help arrives and takes over,

• the casualty starts to show signs of regaining consciousness, such as coughing, opening their eyes, speaking, or moving purposefully AND starts to breathe normally,

OR• you become exhausted.

Giving Chest Compression onlyIf you have not been trained to give rescue breaths, are not able, or not wanting to, just give chest compressions. This is much better than doing nothing at all. Give the chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) C – Start Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

• Chest compressionsKneel next to the casualty. Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the casualty’s chest. Place the heel of your other hand on top of the first. Interlock your fingers. With arms straight push the breastbone down 5–6cm and release. The correct rate is 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute, that’s almost 2 per second. You may find it helpful to count out loud. Give 30 chest compressions.

After 30 chest compressions give 2 rescue breaths.

• Rescue breathsOpen the airway again and pinch the soft part of the casualty’s nose closed. Take a normal breath, make a seal around their mouth and breathe out steadily. The casualty’s chest should rise and fall. Keeping the casualty’s head back and the chin lifted, take your mouth away, take another normal breath and give a second rescue breath. The two breaths should take no longer than five seconds.

Repeat 30 compressions and 2 rescue breaths.

If a person becomes unconscious follow the instructions below.

Remember DRS ABC.

Check:

• DangerApproach the casualty with care. Look out for hazards such as fire, traffic and electricity. Never putyourself at risk.

• Response Find out if the casualty is responsive. Gently shake the casualty’s shoulders and ask loudly ‘are you alright?’ If the casualty does not respond…

• Shout for helpIf someone is nearby ask them to stay with you because you may need them to phone for help. If you are alone shout loudly to attract attention, but do not leave the casualty.

A – Open the Airway Place one hand on the casualty’s forehead, and gently tilt the head back, then lift their chin using two fingers of your other hand under their chin – when you do this you open their airway.

B – Check for normal Breathing Keeping the airway open, check if the casualty is breathing normally by looking for chest movement, listening for breathing and feeling for breath on your cheek. Look, listen and feel for no more than 10 seconds. If you are sure the casualty is breathing normally turn them in the recovery position. If the casualty is not breathing normally ask someone to call 999. Alsoask for an automated external defibrillator (AED), if one is available. If you are on your own you will have to leave the casualty and call 999 yourself.

Jenny was walking to the bus station when she came upon a 16 year old girl lying on the ground. She realised the girl had been drinking and had been vomiting; she was unconscious but breathing normally so Jenny decided to protect her airway and place her in the recovery position. The girl had been left alone but a few moments later her boyfriend turned up. Jenny told him to phone 999 for an ambulance as the girl was unable to care for herself and appeared to be in a bad way. A fast response ambulance car arrived very quickly as did an ambulance. The paramedic in charge told Jenny that she had done a very good job and had helped save the girl’s life. Jenny (age 15)

Paul and Tim witnessed a man collapse. He was still breathing normally but appeared unconscious. They put the man into the recovery position and rang 999 for an ambulance. They stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. Paul & Tim (age 17)

Recovery position

If a person is unconscious but they are still breathing normally you should put them in the recovery position.

1 Place their arm nearest to you out at a right angle. If they are wearing glasses remove them.

2 Bring the far arm acrosstheir chest.

3 Place the back of their hand against their cheek that is nearest to you. Keep hold of the hand.

4 Bend the far leg just above the knee and pull it up, and then roll the person towards you.

5 Gently tilt their head backto make sure their airway remains open.

6 Call 999, and regularly check the person’s breathing.

Life-saving stories from people like you

How to put someone in the recovery position

Pain or discomfort in the chest that doesn’t go away

the pain may spread to the left or right arm

or may spread to the neck and jaw

they may feel sick or short of breath

Finding someone in pain or distress is

scary. But by knowing a few key things

you can help save a life.

This booklet will help you recognise

and deal with:

• Possible heart attack• Serious bleeding• Choking

It will teach you how to:

• Put someone in the recovery position

• Give CPR to someone who has

stopped breathing normally

Heart attack

Symptoms

2011 is the British Heart Foundation’s 50th birthday. Since 1961, we have been the nation’s heart charity,

dedicated to saving lives through pioneering research, patient care, campaigning for change

and by providing vital information. But we urgently need your help. We rely on your

donations of time and money to continue our life-saving work.

Because together we can beat heart disease.

British Heart FoundationGreater London House 180 Hampstead Road London NW1 7AWT 020 7554 0000 F 020 7554 0100

yheart.netvisit the BHF website for young people yheart.net

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Andy’s mum sliced off the end of her finger

and felt faint. Andy told his mum not to panic.

He raised her arm and pressed on the bleeding

wound. He laid her down on the floor and

covered her with a blanket to keep her warm.

He told his Dad to phone for an ambulance.

Andy sat with his Mum and talked to her until

the ambulance arrived. Andy (age 8)

Lucy and Gail were on an excursion with the school. They were in the sports hall chatting with friends when a boy was accidently hit on his nose by a racket. He suffered a deep cut. Lucy and Gail saw there had been an accident and helped by applying pressure to the bleeding area. They sent for help and reassured the boy until a teacher arrived. Lucy & Gail (age 14)

Life-saving stories from people like youHow will I know?

A person who is choking will have difficulty breathing and may turn blue. If they are conscious they might try to show that they are choking by grasping their neck with their hands or pointing to their throat.

Aisha’s friend Sarah choked on a sweet which blocked her airway. Aisha remembered her first aid skills and gave Sarah back slaps and then abdominal thrusts. The sweet was cleared from her airway. Sarah was taken to hospital for a check and is fine now. Aisha and Sarah (age 10)

Rob was out with his Dad at the weekend and came across a man choking. Rob had covered this in the Heartstart course so he knew how to do back slaps and abdominal thrusts in order to clear the man’s airway. Rob (age 16)

Life-saving stories from people like you How will I know?

A person has serious bleeding when the problem cannot be solved by applying a plaster to the wound.

What should I do?

1 Ask them “are you choking?”

2 If they can’t answer start giving them up to 5 back slaps, checking after each one to see if the obstruction has gone.

3 If back slaps don’t work give 5 abdominal thrusts and check again after each one to see if you have cleared the obstruction.

4 Repeat the back slaps and abdominal thrusts if this doesn’t work.

5 If the casualty becomes unconscious:

• Support the casualty carefully to the ground.

• Immediately call 999 for an ambulance.

• Start CPR.

Anyone receiving abdominal thrusts mustgo to the hospital for a check up with a doctor.

Babies under one year old should not be given any abdominal thrusts.

Choking Bleeding

What should I do?

1 Sit the person down sothey feel safe.

2 If you can’t see wherethe blood is coming from expose the area around the wound.

3 Get them to press down on the wound with something clean like a towel. Put some disposable gloves on your hands, if you have some.

4 If there is something in the wound, like glass, squeeze the sides of the wound and be careful not to cut yourself. Do not try and remove the object.

5 Get someone to call 999, or go yourself if there is no one else around.

6 Come back and stay with the person and keep them calm.

7 If you can, raise the wounded part of the body so it is higher than the heart; so if their leg was cut lay them down and raise it high.

8 Lie them down if they feel faint. Anyone with a wound on the chest may need to sit up.

9 Keep them warm.

How to save a lifeWould you know what to do?

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