Basic Life Support, First Aid, and Search and Rescue

Essential vocabulary terms and clinical definitions covering Basic Life Support (BLS), CPR algorithms, First Aid protocols, environmental emergencies, and Search and Rescue (SAR) procedures.

Administrative Order (A.O.) 155 s. 2004

A policy that establishes Basic Life Support (BLS) training as mandatory for all health workers.

Republic Act (R.A.) 10871

The 'Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act' enacted on July 17, 2016, requiring basic education students to undergo age-appropriate basic life support training.

Survey the Scene

The first Emergency Action Principle where the rescuer evaluates scene safety, mechanism of injury or nature of illness, takes standard precautions, determines the number of patients, and considers additional resources.

"Call First"

An emergency activation protocol for adults, adolescents, or witnessed collapse of children and infants where a lone rescuer without a mobile phone leaves the victim to call emergency response and retrieve an AED before starting CPR.

"CPR First"

An emergency activation protocol for unwitnessed collapse of children and infants or likely asphyxial arrest (e.g., drowning) where the rescuer delivers $2\,\text{minutes}$ ($5\,\text{cycles}$) of CPR before leaving to activate emergency response and obtain an AED.

SAMPLE Interview

A secondary assessment mnemonic used to interview a victim: Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last meal taken, and Events prior to injury or incident.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

A set of emergency procedures consisting of recognizing respiratory or cardiac arrest and applying CPR with or without an AED, foreign body airway obstruction management, and rescue breathing until recovery or advanced care arrives.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

A set of clinical interventions for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest and other life-threatening emergencies, along with the knowledge and skills to deploy those interventions.

Prolonged Life Support (PLS)

Post-resuscitative and long-term resuscitation care involving adjunctive equipment such as ventilators, cardiac monitors, and pulse oximeters.

Alveoli

Spongy microscopic air sacs within lung lobes where the actual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.

Clinical Death

The initial cessation of heartbeat and breathing spanning $0$ to $4\text{--}6\,\text{minutes}$, during which brain damage progresses from not likely to possible.

Biological Death

The permanent death of brain cells occurring after circulation ceases, where brain damage becomes very likely between $6\text{--}10\,\text{minutes}$ and irreversible after $10\,\text{minutes}$.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

A series of assessments and interventions combining chest compressions and ventilations ($30\text{ compressions}:2\text{ ventilations}$ for $5\,\text{cycles}$ over $2\,\text{minutes}$) to restore circulation and oxygenation to vital organs.

Signs of Irreversible Death

Criteria under which CPR should not be started, including rigor mortis (muscle stiffness), livor mortis/dependent lividity (blood settling/bruising), algor mortis (cooling of the body), or decapitation.

S-T-O-P Mnemonic (When to Stop CPR)

Circumstances to terminate CPR: Spontaneous circulation restored, Turned over to medical personnel, Operator exhausted, Physician declares death, Scene becomes unsafe, or Signed waiver presented.

Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC)

The resumption of a sustained heart rhythm and pumping function, identified as a sign of life.

Chest Compression Depth

Target depth during CPR: at least $2\,\text{inches}$ ($5\,\text{cm}$) up to $2.4\,\text{inches}$ ($6\,\text{cm}$) in adults/adolescents, about $2\,\text{inches}$ ($5\,\text{cm}$) in children, and about $1.5\,\text{inches}$ ($4\,\text{cm}$) in infants.

Jaw-Thrust Maneuver

An airway-opening technique restricted to healthcare providers (HCP) used when cervical trauma or spinal injury is suspected.

High-Quality CPR

Resuscitation defined by a rate of $100\text{--}120\,\text{compressions/min}$, correct depth, complete chest recoil after each compression, minimizing interruptions, and avoiding excessive ventilation.

Respiratory Arrest

A clinical emergency in which breathing ceases or becomes inadequate, while a definitive pulse is still present.

Rescue Breathing

The delivery of artificial breaths to a non-breathing or inadequately breathing victim who retains a pulse, given at $1\text{ breath every } 5\text{--}6\,\text{seconds}$ for adults and $1\text{ breath every } 3\text{--}5\,\text{seconds}$ for children/infants.

Universal Sign of Choking

A distressed posture where a choking individual clutches their neck with one or both hands while gasping for breath.

Abdominal Thrust

An emergency maneuver that increases intrathoracic pressure by compressing between the xiphoid process and navel to expel an airway obstruction in conscious adults and children over $1\,\text{year}$ of age.

Infant FBAO Management

A foreign body airway obstruction sequence for conscious infants consisting of alternating $5\,\text{back slaps}$ between the shoulder blades and $5\,\text{chest thrusts}$ using two fingers.

Finger Sweep

A technique to clear the airway used during unconscious choking management only if a foreign object is visibly seen in the oral cavity.

Body Substance Isolation (BSI)

Infection control practices—including personal hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), and equipment decontamination—designed to prevent contact with infectious body fluids.

Shock

A life-threatening circulatory failure resulting in insufficient blood flow to tissues and organ dysfunction.

PRICE-F

Contributing factors that worsen shock: Pain, Rough handling, Improper transfer, Continuous bleeding, Exposure to extreme cold or excessive heat, and Fatigue.

RICE-S

The standard first aid management procedure for closed soft tissue injuries: Rest, Ice application, Compression, Elevation, and Splinting.

Ecchymosis

Discoloration of the skin resulting from bleeding underneath, typically appearing as a black or blue mark.

Hematoma

A localized collection or pool of blood within damaged tissues causing swelling (pasa).

Avulsion

An open soft tissue wound characterized by skin or tissue being forcefully torn away or left hanging as a flap (wakwak).

Puncture

A narrow, deep open wound created by a sharp, pointed object penetrating the skin layer (saksak).

Partial-Thickness Burn

A second-degree burn that affects epidermis and dermis layers, characterized by redness, swelling, intense pain, and blister formation.

Airway Burn

A critical burn indicated by singed facial/nasal hair, burns around the mouth or neck, hoarseness, and respiratory compromise.

Marine Life Stings Care

First aid protocol for marine stings consisting of cleaning the affected site with vinegar, applying a hot compress, and bandaging.

Venomous Snake

A snake characterized by a semi-triangular head, rectangular body, rough scales, vertical elliptical pupils, two distinct fang marks, and sidewinding movement.

Non-Venomous Snake

A snake characterized by an oblong-round head, cylindrical body, smooth scales, round pupils, a horseshoe-shaped bite mark, and constricting behavior.

Sprain

The stretching, partial tearing, or complete rupture of fibrous ligaments stabilizing a joint.

Muscle Strain

An injury involving the overstretching or tearing of muscle fibers or tendons (pulled muscle).

Heat Stroke

A severe, life-threatening hyperthermic emergency marked by extremely high core body temperature, hot dry skin, constricted pupils, rapid shallow breathing, confusion, and seizures.

Search and Rescue (SAR)

An operation comprised of three distinct phases: Size-up (continuous assessment model), Search (locating and documenting survivors), and Rescue (extricating survivors).

Light Damage

Structural damage involving superficial breaks, broken windows, and minor interior disruption where the building is considered safe to enter and remain.

Moderate Damage

Structural damage characterized by visible wall cracks, fallen decorative work, and major interior disruption while the building remains on its foundation; entered only to save lives.

Heavy Damage

Severe structural failure with partial/total collapse, tilting, displacement off foundations, or hazardous leaks; rescuers must not enter under any circumstances.

Structural Voids

Air spaces created by collapsed building elements where victims can survive, specifically categorized into pancake voids, V-shape voids, and lean-to voids.

Individual Voids

Enclosed micro-spaces where survivors seek protection during structural failure, such as inside bathtubs, under desks, in cabinets, closets, or next to beds.

Triangulation

A search methodology that uses multiple observation points or listening bearings to pinpoint the exact location of trapped survivors.

Grid Search

A systematic exterior search technique that divides search terrain into straight parallel lanes with overlapping patterns based on visibility and debris.