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> Mouth-to-mouth is not deemed particularly necessary these days (since the act of correct CPR will draw oxygen in anyway), better to focus on proper CPR and wait for the ambulance to turn up with high-flow oxygen from a tank.

Mouth-to-mouth isn't critical, but clearing the airway is. I remember one story from a first-aid refresher a few year, the guy doing it said he arrived at a car crash (doing a stint on an ambulance). A girl had been hit and was lying on the floor. Nobody had touched her in case they broke her neck or something.

She wasn't breathing. The ambulance had arrived within about 5 minutes, which was too late. Tilting her head back would likely have saved her life.




> Mouth-to-mouth isn't critical, but clearing the airway is.

Sure, but that goes without saying. Anybody who's been taught DRSABCD should know that.

Its also the reason why the FIRST thing you do when someone is choking is call for an ambulance (ideally on loudspeaker so you can get on with it at the same time, or, preferably get someone else to, if available). Even if you are successful in dislodging the item, they will still need a once-over by a trained medic because if you did it by the book it comes with side-risks.... so whichever way you won't be wasting the ambulance's time.

If you start trying things on choking and find you're not getting very far and then call an ambulance .... it'll probably be too late.

(Goes without saying that for heart issues, ambulance is also a high priority, but choking is far more time critical in the grand scheme of things).


> Sure, but that goes without saying

Clearly not for the average person at that accident scene where the girl died, and indeed I believe that for most people - especially in a crowd - the first and last action is "shock". Maybe someone will phone for help.

My first aid training comes from hostile environments, where catastrophic bleeding fits in before airway. Unlikely to find someone with a missing limb down the high street, but there's not much point in CPR if the blood you pump is gushing out of the femoral artery.


I remember reading of one--kid ran behind the car that was backing out. *Minor* injuries, but fatal because the people were afraid to mess with a head wound. The kid was knocked unconscious and had a nosebleed--he drowned on the sidewalk.




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