When a patient is unconscious and non‑responsive, CPR is not always automatically performed; it is only started if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally or has no pulse, depending on your training level.

Key idea

  • If someone is unconscious but breathing normally and has a pulse, you do not do CPR; you place them in the recovery position and monitor breathing.
  • If they are unconscious, not responding, and not breathing normally (or you cannot detect a pulse, for trained rescuers), you start CPR immediately while someone calls emergency services.

So the exam‑style statement:

“When a patient is unconscious and non-responsive CPR should be performed.”

is False , because you must first check breathing (and pulse, if trained) and only perform CPR if there is presumed cardiac arrest, not just unconsciousness.

Mini section: What to actually do

  1. Check safety
    • Make sure the scene is safe for you and the victim.
  1. Check responsiveness and breathing
    • Tap and shout, “Are you OK?” and look for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds.
 * If breathing is normal → no CPR; place in recovery position and monitor.

 * If not breathing normally / gasping or not breathing at all → start chest compressions and call emergency services.
  1. Start CPR when appropriate
    • Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 compressions per minute, at least 5 cm deep for adults.

Quick exam tip

  • Many basic life support quizzes try to test that “unconscious + non‑responsive” is not enough ; you must link it to no normal breathing (and no pulse, if you check pulse) to justify CPR.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.