Unconscious persons

Speak to them & check

1. Make sure it is safe for you. Speak to them loudly, gently shake their shoulders. No response? Call loudly for help.

Emergency call 144

1. If the person does not respond: call 144 immediately and switch your mobile phone to speakerphone – do not check breathing first (Swiss Resuscitation Council 2025).

Check breathing

1. While the call is in progress: tilt the head back, lift the chin. Look, listen, feel – 10 seconds at most. If you are unsure, the emergency call centre will help you.

Recovery position

1. Breathing normally and no fall or accident: place in the recovery position. If they are not breathing normally: start resuscitation immediately.

Breathing check (max. 10 s)

1. Tilt the head back, lift the chin
2. LOOK: is the chest rising?
3. LISTEN & FEEL: the sound of breathing at your cheek?
4. Agonal gasping = NOT normal breathing → resuscitation

After a fall or accident: no recovery position

1. Keep the head and neck still with both hands
2. Check breathing continuously – if the person is not breathing normally: resuscitation

Remember

1. Stay with the person – only leave them to get help (ERC Guidelines 2025)
2. Check breathing continuously, in children at least every minute (ERC Guidelines 2025)
3. Cover them up and keep them warm
4. Alone and without a mobile phone or reception: call loudly for help. If nobody comes, you must leave the person to raise the alarm – as quickly as possible
5. If a child is not breathing normally and there is no mobile phone to hand: first resuscitate for 1 minute, then raise the alarm (Swiss Resuscitation Council 2025)

Recovery position step by step

1. Kneel beside the person, straighten their legs and place the arm nearest to you at a right angle out to the side
2. Bring the far arm across the chest, place the back of the hand against the cheek nearest to you and hold it there
3. With your other hand, grasp the far leg just above the knee and bend it up – the foot stays on the ground
4. Using the bent leg, roll the person onto their side towards you; the hand stays against the cheek
5. Position the upper leg so that the hip and knee are bent at right angles
6. Tilt the head back carefully; the face points slightly downwards so that fluid can drain out of the mouth (ERC Guidelines 2025)
7. Cover them and keep monitoring breathing

Infants and children

1. Infant (under 1 year): tilt the head back only until it is straight, and lift the chin with two fingers on the bone – do not press on the soft tissues
2. Older children: tilt the head back a little further; adolescents as for adults (ERC Guidelines 2025 for children)

Keep common causes in mind

1. Low blood sugar in diabetes – clues: diabetes ID card, insulin pen, sensor on the arm
2. Seizure: move objects out of the way, protect the head from hitting the ground, put nothing in the mouth, do not hold the person down, look at the time
3. Seizure: call 144 if the convulsions last longer than 3 minutes, the person remains unconscious or further seizures follow (Swiss League Against Epilepsy)
4. Brief convulsions can also be the start of cardiac arrest – as soon as they stop, check breathing (ERC Guidelines 2025)
5. Poisoning: secure the substance or packaging, call Tox Info Suisse on 145
6. Fall or accident: consider head and spinal injury, avoid unnecessary movements

Further sources

• SRC Resuscitation guidelines
• SRC: BLS-AED-SRC algorithm 2025 What to do for an unconscious person
• ERC Guidelines 2025: First Aid Recovery position and exceptions (in English)
• Swiss League Against Epilepsy First aid for a seizure