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Adult CPR
What to do when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
In an emergency, call your emergency number first — 112 across the EU. This is general information, not a substitute for hands-on first-aid training or professional medical care. If you are unsure, call for help and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
When to use this
Use when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing, or not breathing normally (occasional gasps are not normal breathing).
Step by step
- Check the area is safe, then check for a response: gently shake the shoulders and ask loudly if they are okay.
- If there is no response, shout for help. Call 112 (or your local emergency number) and put the phone on speaker so your hands stay free. Ask someone to find an AED (defibrillator).
- Open the airway: tilt the head back gently and lift the chin. Look and listen for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds.
- If they are not breathing normally, start chest compressions. Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, the other on top, and press hard and fast: about 5–6 cm deep, at 100–120 compressions a minute.
- If you are trained and willing, give 2 rescue breaths after every 30 compressions. If not, keep doing continuous chest compressions without stopping.
- As soon as an AED arrives, switch it on and follow its spoken instructions.
- Keep going until emergency services take over, the person shows clear signs of life, or you are too exhausted to continue.
What not to do
- Do not delay calling for help to look for a pulse.
- Do not stop compressions except to let an AED analyse or the person recovers.
Emergency numbers
112 reaches emergency services across the European Union and much of the world, often even without a SIM or signal from your own network. Some countries keep additional local numbers.
| Where you are | Emergency number |
|---|---|
| European Union & EEA (incl. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania) | 112 |
| United Kingdom | 999 (112 also works) |
| United States & Canada | 911 |
| Australia | 000 |
| New Zealand | 111 |
Other first-aid guides
Choking (adult)
Clearing a blocked airway in a responsive adult.
Severe bleeding
Controlling heavy bleeding while help is on the way.
Burns and scalds
First aid for heat burns and scalds.
Heat stroke
A life-threatening overheating emergency.
Hypothermia
Warming someone who has become dangerously cold.
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
A rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Source: Steps paraphrase widely-accepted guidance from bodies such as the European Resuscitation Council and national Red Cross societies. General information, not a substitute for training. · checked 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
When should I use this?
Use when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing, or not breathing normally (occasional gasps are not normal breathing).
When must I call emergency services?
As early as you safely can. Across the EU that is 112. For anyone unresponsive and not breathing normally, call first (or have someone call) and start CPR straight away.
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