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Chapter 3 - Basic Life Support

Basic Life Support (BLS) is performed to support circulation and respiration through CPR until advanced help arrives. BLS involves assessing danger, getting a response from the victim, calling for help, opening the airway, checking breathing, and beginning chest compressions if needed. An Automated External Defibrillator should be used if available.

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87 views26 pages

Chapter 3 - Basic Life Support

Basic Life Support (BLS) is performed to support circulation and respiration through CPR until advanced help arrives. BLS involves assessing danger, getting a response from the victim, calling for help, opening the airway, checking breathing, and beginning chest compressions if needed. An Automated External Defibrillator should be used if available.

Uploaded by

Lalita A/P Anbarasen
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DIPLOMA OF HEALTHCARE

MANAGEMENT

DHM 2123
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
PROVISION

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DHM 2123
Lecture by: LALITA
ANBARASEN

CHAPTER 3:BASIC LIFE


SUPPORT
Basic Life Support (BLS)

 Basic Life Support (BLS) is performed to support


the patient’s circulation and respiration through
the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
until advanced life support arrives.

 Victims who have had early and correct BLS


intervention will be better oxygenated and are
more likely to respond to advanced techniques to
revive them, thereby increasing their chance of
survival.
 BLS is only a temporary substitute for normal
ventilation and circulation, as only approximately
20-30% of normal cardiac output can be achieved
via the BLS techniques.
Chain of Survival

The Chain of Survival refers to a series of actions


that, reduce the mortality rate associated with
cardiac arrest.

Basic Life Support is the core of any resuscitation


attempt.
The key elements include:

Prompt recognition of cardiac arrest


Call for urgent medical assistance
Early effective CPR with an emphasis on
minimal disruptions to compressions
Early defibrillation
Early advanced life support
Integrated post-cardiac arrest care
D = Danger: Hazards, Risks & Safety

Always consider your safety first, followed by the


safety of the patient/victim and then lastly the safety
of any bystanders.

As a rescuer, you must be able to quickly assess the


situation for any potential dangers or hazards to
yourself or others in the immediate environment.

Priority must lie with your own safety, followed by


the safety of the patient/victim and then any
bystanders.
There are three categories of dangers that the
rescuer must be aware of:

1. Manual Handling: Abide by the general


principals of WH&S (Manual Handling) where
possible. Do not attempt to move a collapsed
person without first obtaining assistance unless
it is a life-threatening emergency situation
2.Infection Control: Take safety precautions
where possible using universal or standard
precautions. In a health care environment,
Personal Protective Equipment is a requirement

3. Environment: Fire, electricity, traffic and so on


are environmental hazards that you will need to
consider when performing BLS. Also consider the
presence of oxygen and flammable items if a
defibrillator is being used as they may pose a risk
e.g. always turn off oxygen in the workplace if in
use.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in
BLS

It is reasonable for a rescuer to use personal


protective equipment (PPE) which may include
gloves or a barrier device for rescue breaths;
however CPR should never be withheld if PPE is
not available unless there is a clear risk to the
rescuer.
The risk of transmission of rescue breaths
delivered without the use of a barrier device is
very low.

The rescuer should avoid moving the victim


where at all possible.
A victim should only be moved if:

1. The safety of the rescuer or the victim is


compromised;
2.The victim requires protection from extreme
weather conditions;
3.Required in order to evacuate the victim from
difficult terrain;
4.Care of the airway or breathing is required (e.g.
rolling an unconscious victim to the side to
clear the airway or rolling them onto their back
to commence CPR)
If you do need to move a victim, where possible,
have a third person assist to support the victim’s
head and neck and prevent any twisting or
bending from occurring. Lone rescuers are
recommended to use an ankle or arm-shoulder
drag to move a victim in danger.
R = Response (‘Touch and Talk’)

Assess the collapsed victim’s response to verbal and


tactile stimuli (‘talk and touch’) ensuring that this
does not cause or aggravate any injury. Tap/shake
the victims FOOT to elicit a response. Give a simple
command such as “open your eyes, can you hear
me?”

If the patient does not respond or only shows a


minor response, e.g. groaning without opening
their eyes, they should be treated as
UNCONCIOUS.
S = Send for Help

It is your professional responsibility to know the


phone numbers and method for calling
emergency codes in your clinical/community
settings. You should know where the emergency
buzzers and alarms are and where the
resuscitation trolley and emergency equipment
are kept.
You also need to know the procedures to be
implemented within the facility in which you are
working and in the community.

Send for Help can be implemented after the first


2 minutes of CPR if the rescuer is in a situation
where they are alone with no immediate help
A = Airway

A clear, unobstructed/open airway is required for


effective breathing. Absence of a clear airway will
be recognised by absent or noisy breathing
and/or failing to respond to ‘touch and talk’.

The airway must be cleared and open.


1. In a normal, unobstructed airway, the air can
flow freely through the nose or mouth to the
lungs.

2.Air flow can be restricted at different locations


including the nose and soft palate with the
uvula and the tongue base. The narrowing or
blockage of the airways can be fatal.
Some causes of an obstructed airway could
include:

I. Tongue (unconscious patient)


II.Semi-solid material (vomit, seaweed)
III.Solid material at the entrance to or within
upper airway
IV.Laryngeal spasm
V.Swelling (asthma, allergies)
VI.Injury involving airway (smoke, toxic fumes)
B = Check for Breathing

LOOK for movement of the upper abdomen or


lower chest
LISTEN for the escape of air from nose and mouth
FEEL for movement of chest and upper abdomen.

Assess for signs of breathing normally: If breathing


sounds are absent, breathing is erratic or
ineffective or normal breathing is not present, after
the airway has been cleared and opened, the
rescuer should commence chest compressions.
C = Compressions

Chest compressions should be commenced when


a victim/patient is unresponsive and not
breathing normally. Early compressions can
improve outcomes by keeping the brain and heart
perfused with the oxygenated blood in the
circulatory system prior to collapse.
D = Defibrillation

If available, attach an Automated External


Defibrillator (AED) as soon as possible and follow
the prompts. The use of an Automated External
Defibrillator (AED) is now part of the BLS
algorithm as prescribed by the A.R.C. AEDs have
the ability to identify the underlying cardiac
rhythm as being either a ‘shockable’ or ‘non
shockable’ rhythm. The AED will prompt the user
to defibrillate i.e. ‘shock advised’ or ‘shock not
advised’.
It is universally recognised that early
defibrillation significantly improves survival
rates. Survival can be significantly improved even
6-10 minutes after arrest, as long as effective CPR
has been started early in the arrest. It is thought
that good CPR may even increase the likelihood
of defibrillation success.
Thank you

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