Basic Life Support

Question 1

What are the universal precautions?

Answer 1

1. Gain consent, ask even if the patient looks
2. Bagged valved mask
3. Hand gel, good option if not running water
4. Risks outside- stop think, consider your own safety

Question 2

What are for parts of the Chain of survival?

Answer 2

Early access to or activation of the emergency services
Early CPR
Early Defibrillation
Early Advanced Care

Question 3

What is Early access or activation of the emergency services?

Answer 3

• call the emergency services as sson as possible

- if the patient is not breathing make sure they are called straight away

Question 4

What is early CPR?

Answer 4

• The second link isCPR,
• without effective Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, it is probable that the next chains in the link are not going to work.

Question 5

What is early defibrillation?

Answer 5

• Automated External Defibrillators are sometimes available at workplaces
• sometimes a community first responder or paramedic may arrive with an AED.
• The AED interrupts the abnormal twitching of the heart and can reset the heart to beat normally again

Question 6

What is early advanced care?

Answer 6

Early Advanced Care -

• This is given by the emergency services,
• in addition to delivering an AED they will have drugs, oxygen and other equipment
• they are trained to provide care that is far beyond first aid

Question 7

Which is the most important part of the chain of survival?

Answer 7

Every link in the chain is vital

• if the chain of survival is broken at any point, the patient’s chance of survival is massively reduced.
• If you don’t call the EMS quickly, this will delay the advanced care and possibly the AED,
• if you don’t provide CPR then the effectiveness of the AED and Advanced care are compromised.
• For every minute of delay between the person going into cardiac arrest to the time when the AED arrives the chance of survival drops by 10%
• making sure that the links remain intact and that an AED is available at the earliest possible moment improves the person’s chance of survival.

Question 8

What is the ABCDE approach?

Answer 8

With the ABCDE approach, it is the same as other critical care for patients. ABCDE still stands for:

Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Disability
And finally, Exposure to assess and treat the patient.

Question 9

The “A” in ABCDE stands for?

Answer 9

Airway

Question 10

The “C” in ABCDE stands for?

Answer 10

Circulation, carotide pulse

Question 11

The “D” in ABCDE stands for?

Answer 11

Anything that has not been covered already, but is not normal.
e.g. chest pain or nausea

Question 12

How do you minotor the breathing?

Answer 12

• no signs of distress?
• breathing is aduble
• respirator effort
• ## respiratory rate

Question 13

A patient’s chest is not rising and falling equally on both sides, what would you consider to be a likely cause?

Answer 13

Pneumothorax

Question 14

What are the pulse points?

Answer 14

• primary at radius
• brachial pulse
• carotide pulse
  popliteal pulse
  pedal pulse
  only feel one side of the carotide

Question 15

Where would you find the Primary or Radial pulse?

Answer 15

On the wrist.

Question 16

What is the first thing that you do?

Answer 16

Look for hazards and make sure they are removed. Look for other potential dangers and for things that may be in the way.

Question 17

Steps for recovery position

Answer 17

• arm nearest to first aider in abductions 90 degrees, elbow flexion 90 degrees on ground
• get hand from toher other arm

Question 18

Infant recovery positions

Answer 18

facing towards you with their head tilted downwards, supporting their body using your arm and one hand body while your other hand supports their head.

Question 19

What do you do if the patient is an adult or older child who has not drowned?

Answer 19

If the patient is an adult or older child who has NOT drowned and you are alone without a phone, leave them to call the EMS and then come back and start resuscitation.
There are some differences if you are alone and dealing with a child or infant who is not breathing, or when dealing with a patient of any age who is not breathing because they have drowned. In these circumstances:

Starting resuscitation with five breaths, provide CPR for 1 minute and then go to call the EMS
The only exception to this rule is if you are treating a child or an infant with a know cardiac problem. In this case, call the EMS immediately.
If you are dealing with an infant, it may be possible for you to go for help while carrying the infant and performing CPR.

When more than one rescuer is available, one or more of the rescuers should start resuscitation while another goes for assistance and tries to find an AED.
Send someone to get an AED if available. Stay with the patient and continue with CPR until the EMS arrives an AED is available or you are simply too tired to continue. It is important to keep blood circulating don’t leave the patient alone to go and look for an AED while you are waiting for the EMS to arrive.

You can get additional help on CPR by speaking to the dispatcher when you call the EMS. By having your phone on speaker phone, they can guide you through CPR as either full CPR or chest only compressions.