What do EMT's do with a person not responsive,not breathing , possibly a drug overdose?

Question

what equipment do you use,what procedures do you use? (I mean, outside of the paddles? I need details, but I went to this site, protocols.resuscitations.com, and its great, but I need NOT so much details, and it was confusing. Help!

Answer 1

First of all one needs to asses the ABCs

That involves:

A making sure the patient has an open Airway

Checking Breathing, which as you present the problem is absent.

Third Circulation is checked, which is absent in this case.

An ambulance is summoned.

Now CPR is started:

Chest compressions and rescue breathes, with or without oxygen.

If there is an automatic defibrillator on hand CPR will be interrupted and that will be utilized,  the "paddles", with the hopes that the heart can be started and circulation be restored.

Assuming there is an Ambulance on hand the patient will be loaded for transport.

Since the patient is most possibly suffering from a drug overdose Narcan can be administered if local protocols allow and it is available, that can serve as an antidote to opium based drugs.