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acute danger to life

Respiratory Arrest

When When someone is no longer breathing or is only showing agonal gasping.

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Content is undergoing medical and legal review. Changes possible.

Emergency

Call 112. Calling for help is required by law (German Criminal Code § 323c). levelll cannot promise immunity from criminal or administrative consequences.

Immediate

  1. 1. Lay the person flat on their back, expose the chest.
  2. 2. Call 112 or have someone call — put it on speaker so both hands stay free.
  3. 3. Start chest compressions: 30 pushes on the centre of the chest, about 5–6 cm deep, 100–120 per minute. Do not stop until the rescue team takes over.

Don't do

  • Do not turn them into the recovery position while there is no breathing — compressions take priority.
  • Do not wait for spontaneous breathing. Agonal gasping is not breathing.
  • Do not stop out of exhaustion. If a second person is there: switch every 2 minutes.

If opioid involvement is suspected (heroin, fentanyl, morphine, strong painkillers), use naloxone nasal spray alongside resuscitation if available — sold over the counter in German pharmacies since 2024 as “Nyxoid”. Naloxone does not replace chest compressions, but it can reverse the depression of the respiratory centre.

Rescue breaths are optional for laypeople. Compressions without rescue breaths are better than nothing and easier for the untrained to perform correctly. If you can give rescue breaths: 30 compressions, then 2 breaths, alternating.

Work on a hard surface — a mattress or sofa absorbs the compression depth.