A person's level of consciousness may be affected and altered for several reasons. It could be a result from a change in their health condition, a change in medication, insufficient oxygenation, a traumatic injury, or changes to the chemical environment of the brain, an allergic response, or following a fall with a head strike. These type of situations may affect a person's level of consciousness or induce a loss of consciousness. A loss of consciousness refers to a state in which an individual lacks normal awareness of self and the surrounding environment. Syncope is the medical term for temporary loss of consciousness. This means the person is not responsive and will not react to any activity or physical stimulation. The person may have fainted... If someone faints:
Lay them down on the floor.
Kneel by them.
If possible, elevate the person's feet above the height of their head.
Give them fresh air and monitor them.
Keep the person warm until emergency medical help arrives.
If slow to recover, treat as unresponsive.
If the person is still unconscious, they may not have fainted.
Try to wake them up:
Call their name.
Shake their shoulders.
Pinch them — hard on the upper arm or leg.
Rub their sternum with your knuckles.
Place the person in the recovery position and call for help
If they are breathing with a pulse and lying on their back, and you do not think there is a spinal injury, carefully roll them on their side and call 000 for emergency help and contact HWH 24/7 ph: 1800 717 590.
If the person has a loss of consciousness, there are two first aid ways to respond:
1. Unresponsive and Breathing
What to look for
If someone is not responding to you and you think they are unresponsive, ask loudly: 'Are you all right?' or 'Open your eyes'. If they don't respond, pinch their earlobe or gently shake their shoulders. If they still don't respond, then you can presume they're unresponsive.
What you need to do
Step 1 of 5: Open the airway
Place one hand on the person's forehead and gently tilt their head back. As you do this, the mouth will fall open slightly.
Place the fingertips of your other hand on the point of the person's chin and lift the chin.
Open their airway
Step 2 of 5: Check breathing
Look, listen and feel for normal breathing - chest movement, sounds and breaths on your cheek. Do this for no more than ten seconds.
Listen and feel for their breath on your cheek.
Step 3 of 5: Put them in the recovery position
This will keep their airway open.
Kneel next to them on the floor.
If you find the person lying on their back, the next three steps are for. You may not need all three if you find them lying on their side or front.
Place their arm nearest you at a right angle to their body, with their palm facing upwards.
Take their other arm and place it across their chest so the back of their hand is against their cheek nearest you, and hold it there. With your other hand, lift their far knee and pull it up until their foot is flat on the floor.
Now you're ready to roll them onto their side. Carefully pull on their bent knee and roll them towards you. Once you've done this, the top arm should support the head, and the bent leg should be on the floor to stop them from rolling over too far.
Roll the person on their side
Step 4 of 5: If you suspect a spinal injury
If you think the person could have a spinal injury, you must keep their neck as still as possible. Instead of tilting their neck, use the jaw thrust technique: place your hands on either side of their face and, with your fingertips, gently lift the jaw to open the airway, avoiding any movement of their neck.
Support their neck
Step 5 of 5: Call for help
Once you've put them safely into the recovery position, call 000 for medical help.
Until help arrives, keep checking the person's breathing.
If they stop breathing at any point, commence CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation - a combination of chest pressure and rescue breaths) as per your first aid training.
Contact HWH 24/7 ph: 1800 717 590.
2. Unresponsive and Not Breathing - Commence CPR
If an adult is unresponsive and not breathing, you'll need to do CPR (which is short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation). CPR involves giving someone a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths to keep their heart and circulation going to try to save their life. If they start breathing normally again, stop CPR and put them in the recovery position.
What you need to do
If someone is with you, get them to call 000 for emergency help and ask them to get an automated external defibrillator (AED) if one is available.
How to perform CPR on an adult
Step 1: Giving chest compressions
Kneel beside the person on the floor, level with their chest.
Place the heel of one hand towards the end of their breastbone, in the centre of their chest.
Hand location for compressions
Staff position for CPR
Place the heel of your other hand on top of the first hand and interlock your fingers, ensuring you keep the fingers off the ribs.
Lean over the person with your arms straight, pressing vertically on the breastbone, and press the chest down by 5-6 cm (2-2½ in).
Release the pressure without removing your hands from their chest. Allow the chest to come back up fully - this is one compression.
Repeat 30 times, at a rate of about twice a second or the speed of the song 'Staying Alive'.
Give two rescue breaths.
Step 2: Giving rescue breaths
Ensure the person's airway is open.
Open Airway
Pinch their nose firmly closed.
Pinch the Nose
Take a deep breath and seal your lips around their mouth.
Blow into the mouth until the chest rises.
Breathwork
Remove your mouth and allow the chest to fall.
Watch the chest fall
Repeat once more.
Carry on giving 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths for as long as you can, or until help arrives.
If an automated external defibrillator (AED) arrives, switch it on and follow its instructions.
If the person starts breathing normally again, stop CPR and put them in the recovery position.
Recovery position if breathing recommences
contact HWH 24/7 ph: 1800 717 590 and report the incident.
You may be alone until medical support arrives, and the CCM or Paramedic may ask you to check the person's responses against the Glascow Coma Scale - GCS, see below. As per your First Aid training, you can ask the person a series of questions and observe their responses to your requests for them to open their eyes, speak or move a finger or limb. GCS Observations - Post Fall
Glascow Coma Scale - GCS
Related items
