What Do You Do When Someone Is Unconscious?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Call or tell someone to

call 911

. Check the person's airway, breathing, and pulse frequently. If necessary, begin CPR. If the person is breathing and lying on their back, and you do not think there is a spinal injury, carefully roll the person toward you onto their side.

What is the first thing you should do if a person is unconscious and not breathing?

  1. Check breathing by tilting their head back and looking and feeling for breaths. …
  2. Call 999 as soon as possible. …
  3. Give chest compressions: push firmly downwards in the middle of the chest and then release.

What is the first thing you should do if a person is unconscious?

If the person is unconscious but still

breathing

, put them into the recovery position with their head lower than their body and call an ambulance immediately. Continue watching the patient to ensure they don't stop breathing and continue to breathe normally.

How long can someone be unconscious?

They may be unconscious for

a few seconds

— as in fainting — or for longer periods of time. People who become unconscious don't respond to loud sounds or shaking. They may even stop breathing or their pulse may become faint.

How do you position someone who is unconscious?

  1. Kneel beside the person.
  2. Straighten their arms and legs.
  3. Fold the arm closest to you over their chest.
  4. Place the other arm at a right angle to their body.
  5. Get the leg closest to you and bend the knee.

What are the signs of unconsciousness?

  • Amnesia for (not remembering) events before, during, and even after the period of .
  • Confusion.
  • Drowsiness.
  • Headache.
  • Inability to speak or move parts of the body (stroke symptoms)
  • Lightheadedness.

How can you tell if someone is sleeping or unconscious?

  1. suddenly becoming unresponsive.
  2. having a blank or confused look.
  3. feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or having trouble standing.
  4. slurring or mumbling.
  5. having a slow or rapid heartbeat.
  6. being unable to speak.
  7. having difficulty breathing.
  8. having bluish skin.

What are the ABC steps if a person is unconscious?

  1. Opening the airway with a head tilt-chin lift maneuver.
  2. Looking, listening and feeling for breathing.
  3. Perform chest compressions to support circulation in those who are non-responsive without meaningful breaths.

How can you be unconscious but still breathing?

1.

Check their breathing by tilting their head back and looking and feeling for breaths

. When a person is unresponsive, their muscles relax and their tongue can block their airway so they can no longer breathe. Tilting their head back opens the airway by pulling the tongue forward.

What is the first aid for fainting?

  1. Ask them to lie down.
  2. Check for other injuries. …
  3. Kneel down next to them and raise their legs, supporting their ankles on your shoulders to help blood flow back to the brain.
  4. Make sure that they have plenty of fresh air. …
  5. Reassure the casualty and help them to sit up slowly.

Do you feel pain when unconscious?


The unconscious person may still feel pain as they did when they were awake

. For this reason pain medication will continue to be administered but perhaps by another method such as the subcutaneous route (through a butterfly clip in the stomach, arm or leg).

Can someone unconscious hear you?


Twenty-five percent of all unconscious patients can hear

, understand, and emotionally respond to what is happening in their external environment. However, because of their medical condition, they are incapable of moving or communicating their awareness.

Can an unconscious person cry?

A

comatose patient

may open his eyes, move and even cry while still remaining unconscious. His brain-stem reflexes are attached to a nonfunctioning cortex. Reflex without reflection. Many professionals speak of this condition as a ”persistent vegetative state.

What is the best recovery position for an unconscious person?

If someone is unconscious but you're sure they are breathing normally; the best way to keep the airway open is

to roll them onto their side

, in the recovery position. This will encourage their tongue to flop forward and allow the contents of their stomach to drain.

What are the types of unconsciousness?

  • low blood sugar.
  • low blood pressure.
  • syncope, or the loss of consciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain.
  • neurologic syncope, or the loss of consciousness caused by a seizure, stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
  • dehydration.
  • problems with the heart's rhythm.

What are the different levels of unconsciousness?

Level Summary (Kruse) Somnolent Sleepy Obtunded Decreased alertness; slowed psychomotor responses Stuporous Sleep-like state (not unconscious); little/no spontaneous activity Comatose Cannot be aroused; no response to stimuli
Sophia Kim
Author
Sophia Kim
Sophia Kim is a food writer with a passion for cooking and entertaining. She has worked in various restaurants and catering companies, and has written for several food publications. Sophia's expertise in cooking and entertaining will help you create memorable meals and events.