First Aid & Emergencies

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• To do rescue breaths, put one hand on the person's forehead, push with your palm to tilt the person's head back, and then pinch the person's nostrils shut with your thumb and finger. Put the fingers of your other hand under the bony part of the lower jaw near the chin. Tilt the chin upward to keep the airway open.
• Take a normal breath (not a deep one), and place your mouth over the person's mouth, making a tight seal. For a baby, place your mouth over the baby's mouth and nose. Blow into the person's mouth for 1 second, and watch to see if the person's chest rises. See a picture of rescue breathing for a baby .
• If the chest does not rise, tilt the person's head again, and give another breath.
• Between rescue breaths, remove your mouth from the person's mouth and take a normal breath. Let his or her chest fall, and feel the air escape.

Using an automated external defibrillator (AED)

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are machines that are programmed to safely deliver an electrical shock to a person who has collapsed from a heart problem. Each AED has instructions for that machine.

AEDs are often placed in public buildings in visible areas. Before an AED is used, all the steps for CPR must be followed. The AED has a computer inside that will "speak" instructions for when to continue CPR and when to check for a heart rhythm (pulse). The AED must be placed next to the person who has collapsed. Then it must be turned on, and all the commands must be followed.