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First aid · Australia

DRSABCD

Check danger and response, then call 000 for an emergency. An unresponsive person needs their airway and breathing checked. Start CPR and use an AED if they are not breathing normally; use the recovery position if they are breathing normally.

Medical emergency? Call 000

What to do

  1. Check for danger

    Danger: check for hazards before approaching. Do not become another casualty.

    Take care. Do not enter an unsafe area.

  2. Check response

    Response: talk to the person and gently tap their shoulders. If they respond, assess the injury or illness and get the help needed.

  3. Send for help

    Send for help: call 000 if they are unresponsive or have a life-threatening problem. Use speakerphone; ask a bystander to bring an AED.

  4. Open airway; check breathing

    Airway and breathing: open the airway and check for normal breathing for up to 10 seconds. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing.

  5. Choose the breathing pathway

    If unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR and follow the call-taker. If unresponsive but breathing normally, place them on their side and keep the airway open.

    Avoid: Giving food, drink or medication to an unresponsive person.

    Take care. Do not use a pulse check to decide whether CPR is needed.

  6. Use an AED

    Attach the AED as soon as available when CPR is needed. Follow its prompts and keep checking the person until help takes over.

    Take care. Do not leave an unresponsive person unattended when another person can get help.

Know when to act

When to get help

  • The person is unresponsive, not breathing normally, is severely bleeding, has chest pain, stroke signs, a serious allergic reaction or another life-threatening problem.

Children and babies

  • Call 000 and use speakerphone so the call-taker can provide age-appropriate instructions for a baby or child.
  • Child and infant airway, breathing and CPR techniques differ from adult techniques; do not substitute adult assumptions for the call-taker instructions.
  • Use paediatric AED pads or a child setting when available, and follow the AED prompts if paediatric equipment is not available.

Keep checking

  • Continue checking breathing and follow the emergency call-taker instructions until help arrives.

What you may notice

  • A person may be injured, suddenly unwell, distressed or unresponsive.
  • The scene may contain hazards for you, the person or bystanders, including traffic, fire, electricity, chemicals or unstable surroundings.
  • An unresponsive person may have no normal breathing or may make occasional abnormal gasps, which are not normal breathing.
  • There may be a time-critical problem such as severe bleeding, chest pain, stroke signs, choking or anaphylaxis.

When help arrives

  • Tell the ambulance or trained responder what happened, what you found, when the change occurred and which first-aid actions were given.
  • If the person is unresponsive but breathing normally, keep the airway open, maintain the recovery position and repeatedly re-check breathing and response.
  • If the person responds, keep them comfortable, monitor breathing and follow the 000 call-taker instructions until help takes over.

Other useful answers

What does DRSABCD stand for?

Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR and Defibrillation.

What if I am alone?

Call 000 on speakerphone and follow the call-taker instructions. If the person is unresponsive but breathing normally, use the recovery position before leaving briefly to call if that is necessary.

Sources and last update

Content updated: 6 September 2026.

These sources inform the guidance. This independent resource is not a substitute for a first aid course or medical assessment. An editorial update is not independent clinical review. Source organisations have not endorsed this site.

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