CPR – Assessing the Victim

Assess the Victim: Upon finding a suspected victim of cardiac arrest and insuring your own safety – you should assess the victim for responsiveness and determine the appropriate actions for that person.

You must remember that things may not be as they appear. Is every person found laying on a sidewalk or in a public place in need of CPR? They may be simply asleep, or under the influence of drugs, alcohol, perhaps be homeless, or even mentally ill. You must determine what situation you are faced with before taking any other actions.

To assess the victim you should tap and shake the victim physically and yell at the victim “ARE YOUR OKAY?”. You want to use enough stimulus that would awaken an average person. The victim may be deaf or hard of earring – by physically shaking and tapping the victim we know with certainty their status.

Check for Medical Information Jewelry: Some victims may have a necklace, bracket, or other item on them that details a known medical condition. You should look for medical information jewelry on all unresponsive victims.

Next: Calling 911/Getting Additional Resources

Related First Aid & CPR Articles:

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – CPR Guide – CPR Steps – CPR Guidelines – How To Perform CPR
• New CPR Guidelines 2010
• What do you do if a patient wakes up during CPR?
• Compression Only CPR Recommended
• CPR Compression to Breath Ratio
• CPR – Special Considerations when using an AED
• CPR – Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs
• CPR – Healthcare Provider CPR Considerations
• CPR – Mouth to Mask
• CPR – Child and Infant CPR