it is probably better to attempt CPR or the Heimlich maneuver than to do nothing
My problem: I can’t tell if someone’s heart is beating. I think I even studied CPR specifically when I was young, but I find pulse-checking difficult and unreliable. And what happens if you clumsily CPR someone whose heart is beating?
In the training they tell you to (1) check for responsiveness and then (2) check for breathing. You check for responsiveness by hitting them a bit and shouting “are you OK?” If they are unresponsive but breathing, they don’t need CPR. If they are not breathing, or only gasping, they need CPR.
The training did not say anything about checking for a heartbeat.
My problem: I can’t tell if someone’s heart is beating. I think I even studied CPR specifically when I was young, but I find pulse-checking difficult and unreliable. And what happens if you clumsily CPR someone whose heart is beating?
In the training they tell you to (1) check for responsiveness and then (2) check for breathing. You check for responsiveness by hitting them a bit and shouting “are you OK?” If they are unresponsive but breathing, they don’t need CPR. If they are not breathing, or only gasping, they need CPR.
The training did not say anything about checking for a heartbeat.