Even if breathing looks normal. Do not wait to use this guide.
Breathing trouble?
Call 911 now.
Call 911 on speaker ↗Ask someone else to call while you help. Start the call now; do not wait for an answer before starting lifesaving care. Follow the dispatcher. If the scene is unsafe, move yourself to safety and call.
Cannot wake them, and not breathing normally?
- Place them on their back on a firm, flat surface if safe. Start CPR. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest: 100–120 times a minute, about 2 inches deep for an adult. Avoid going deeper than 2.4 inches. Let the chest rise fully.
- If trained and able, give 30 pushes then 2 breaths. If you cannot give breaths, keep pushing and follow the dispatcher.
- Use an AED as soon as one is available. Follow its prompts.
- Give naloxone if opioids may be involved. Follow its instructions. Do not delay the call, CPR, or AED to find it.
Keep following the dispatcher. Continue CPR until trained help takes over, the person starts breathing normally, or you cannot safely continue.
Full adult emergency steps ↗Awake, but struggling to breathe?
Call 911. Help them rest in a position that makes breathing easier. Follow the dispatcher. Do not start CPR while they are awake.
If they stop responding and are not breathing normally or are only gasping, start CPR.
Sources & limits
Adult first-aid education. For a child or infant, tell the dispatcher their age and follow their instructions. This guide cannot diagnose the cause or rule out an emergency. Sources checked October 18, 2026. U.K. sources use 999; in the U.S., call 911.
Adult first-aid guide. For a child, tell the dispatcher their age.
Outside the U.S., call your local emergency number.
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