Why it matters
Recovery positioning and CPR serve different situations. Normal breathing in an unresponsive person still requires help and observation; absent or abnormal breathing needs immediate resuscitation. Gasping must not be mistaken for normal breathing.
What you’ll need
Tools
- Phone
- CPR manikin
- AED trainer
- Instructor-supervised practice space
Materials
- Current age-specific course material
- Emergency address and AED location sheet
Before you begin
Safety & limits
- In an actual emergency call local emergency services now. An unresponsive person not breathing normally, including gasping, needs CPR and an AED as soon as possible. Use dispatcher instructions. Do not practise compressions or deliver an AED shock to a healthy person; use manikins and trainers. Suspected spinal injury requires careful airway and movement decisions.
Work carefully, in order
The method
- 01
Check safely and call
Check the scene, tap and speak to the person, and assess breathing promptly as taught. Call emergency services on speakerphone or send a specific helper to call and fetch an AED. Do not delay while searching for a pulse or opening this website. Tell the dispatcher whether the person responds and breathes normally.
- 02
Choose by normal breathing
If unresponsive but breathing normally, maintain an open airway and follow recovery-position guidance. If breathing is absent, abnormal or only gasping, start CPR and follow dispatcher instructions. Do not put someone with cardiac arrest on their side and wait. Reassess because a person’s breathing can change.
- 03
Learn recovery positioning
With an instructor, practise placing the near arm at a right angle, supporting the far hand against the cheek and bending the far knee. Roll gently toward you onto the side, stabilise the upper leg and keep the airway open. Monitor breathing continuously. Suspected spine injury needs dispatcher guidance; maintaining the airway takes priority.
- 04
Start CPR for abnormal breathing
For an adult, start on their back on a firm surface if this can be done promptly and safely. Put the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest with the other on top. Compress at 100–120 per minute, at least 5 cm deep while avoiding more than 6 cm, and allow full recoil. If trained and able, use 30 compressions and two breaths; otherwise give continuous compressions under dispatcher guidance. Children, infants and drowning need age- and cause-specific breathing instruction; do not treat this adult outline as their protocol.
- 05
Use the AED promptly
Turn on the AED and follow its voice prompts and pad diagrams. Keep everyone clear during analysis and a shock, and resume CPR when directed. Continue until responders take over, normal breathing returns, you cannot continue or the scene becomes unsafe. A no-shock instruction does not mean care is finished.
- 06
Complete practical assessment
Use a CPR manikin and AED trainer for feedback on hand position, depth, recoil, breaths and interruptions. Practise the breathing decision and recovery roll with appropriate supervision. Record local AED access and arrange refresher training. After a real event, hand over timing, observed changes and care, and replace used supplies.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating gasping as normal breathing
- Using recovery position instead of CPR for cardiac arrest
- Assuming an AED no-shock message ends care
If it isn’t working
You are uncertain whether breathing is normal
Tell the dispatcher immediately and follow CPR guidance rather than delaying to be certain.
An AED is not yet available
Continue dispatcher-guided CPR while a helper retrieves it; do not stop to search alone unnecessarily.
Then & now
Historical context
Modern resuscitation connects bystander recognition, emergency dispatch, compressions and an AED. Recovery positioning protects the airway when normal breathing continues; neither method replaces ongoing reassessment.
The modern equivalent
Recognized first-aid/CPR/AED instruction with practical feedback and an accessible emergency response plan.
Sources & review
Editorial draft — specialist review pending. Written 2026-10-05. Sources support the stated scope; this page has not been professionally certified.
- St John Ambulance — Recovery Position ↗
Recovery roll, normal-breathing eligibility and spinal-airway considerations. Checked 2026-10-05.
- American Red Cross — Hands-Only CPR for Adults ↗
Adult hand position, compression rate and recoil; not an infant or drowning protocol. Checked 2026-10-05.
- American Heart Association — 2025 Adult Basic Life Support ↗
Current adult recognition, compression depth/rate, breaths and AED integration; pediatric and drowning guidance are separate. Checked 2026-10-05.
