AED use, choking and recovery position

AED use, choking first aid and the recovery position share the same immediate goal: keep the airway clear and oxygen moving, and act early when the situation worsens. In children's homes, choking can occur at mealtimes or during rushed medicine administration. The recovery position may be needed after a seizure, overdose or collapse when the person is breathing but not fully alert.

Use the AED early

• Turn it on as soon as it arrives.
• Follow the voice prompts and diagrams.
• Keep CPR going while pads are applied if enough rescuers are present.
• Stand clear only when the AED tells you to.
• Restart CPR immediately after a shock or no-shock prompt.

Recovery position basics

• Use the recovery position when the person is unresponsive or very drowsy but breathing normally.
• Keep the airway open and keep watching breathing.
• Do not use it instead of CPR: abnormal or absent breathing requires the cardiac arrest response.
• Consider possible injuries: move carefully if trauma may be involved.
• Tell the ambulance crew why you used it and what changed before it was needed.

Choking in children and young people

• If the cough is effective, encourage coughing and watch closely.
• If the cough is ineffective, start the age-appropriate choking first-aid sequence you were trained to use.
• Call 999 if the choking does not clear quickly or the person becomes worse.
• Do not perform blind finger sweeps.
• If the person becomes unresponsive, start the CPR response.

Manager focus: AED access and maintenance

With choking and collapse, the safest response is usually the simplest one done early.