Lesson 1 of 6 · 3 min read
Recognize cardiac arrest and get help coming
When someone collapses and isn't breathing normally, the first minute decides a lot. Here is what to look for and who to call.
Video lessons don't replace hands-on training. Practice these skills in a supervised class with a qualified instructor before you rely on them at work.
What cardiac arrest looks like
In cardiac arrest the heart stops pumping blood. The American Heart Association's rule for people without medical training is simple: if an adult is unresponsive and not breathing, or only gasping, assume cardiac arrest and act.
- Gasping is not breathing. Slow, irregular gasps, snoring or gurgling sounds are common in the first minutes of cardiac arrest. Treat them as not breathing normally.
- Don't check for a pulse. The guidelines tell people without medical training to skip the pulse check. It wastes time and is easy to get wrong.
- Don't worry about hurting them. The AHA notes that chest compressions on an unconscious person who turns out not to be in cardiac arrest have not been linked to serious harm.
The first steps
- Make sure the scene is safe for you. Traffic, fire, electricity or a violent person come first.
- Check the person. Tap their shoulder and shout. Look at the chest for normal breathing for no more than about 10 seconds.
- Shout for help and call 911. If you're alone with a phone, call and put it on speaker so you can start CPR while you talk. If others are there, point at one person and tell them to call.
- Send someone for an AED (automated external defibrillator), the portable device that can shock the heart back into rhythm.
- Start CPR right away, beginning with chest compressions. Lesson 2 shows how.
Let the dispatcher help
911 dispatchers are trained to coach callers through CPR. Give the location first, so help is on the way even if the call drops. Then answer their two questions: is the person responsive, and are they breathing normally? The AHA reports that dispatcher instructions make bystander CPR more than five times as likely and get it started minutes sooner. Follow what they tell you.
Key points
- Unresponsive and not breathing normally (or only gasping): assume cardiac arrest.
- Gasping is not normal breathing. Don't check for a pulse.
- Scene safe, check the person, call 911 on speaker, send for an AED.
- Give the dispatcher your location first, then follow their coaching.
Picture it
A hotel lobby at 6 a.m. A guest collapses near the elevators. He doesn't answer when you tap him and shout. His mouth opens in slow gasps every few seconds.
Those gasps are not normal breathing. You point at the front desk clerk: "Call 911 and bring the AED from behind the desk." Then you kneel down and start compressions while the clerk puts the dispatcher on speaker.
Resources
- American Heart Association: 2025 Guidelines for CPR and ECC
The current national CPR guidelines this course follows, published October 2025.
- American Red Cross: CPR steps
The Red Cross's step-by-step CPR guide, including rescue breaths for trained rescuers.