Basic Life Support and First Aid Techniques

Vocabulary flashcards covering first aid techniques, Basic Life Support (BLS) protocols, CPR guidelines, airway management devices, and rescue procedures.

Cold pack

A first aid application made by soaking a towel in very cold water, placing it firmly on the injury, and re-soaking as needed.

Ice pack

A first aid application consisting of a plastic bag filled with ice cubes wrapped in a dry cloth and held firmly on the injured area for approximately $10\,min$.

Head-tilt-chin-lift maneuver

An airway-opening technique performed by placing one hand on the victim's forehead to gently tilt the head back and lifting the chin with fingertips under the chin point.

Jaw thrust maneuver

An airway maneuver where the rescuer uses two or three fingers of each hand to lift the jaw upward and outward so that the lower central incisors are anterior to the upper central incisors.

Look, listen, and feel

A technique to determine normal breathing for no more than $10\,sec$ by looking for chest movement, listening at the mouth for breath sounds, and feeling for air on the cheek.

Recovery position

A side-lying position used for an unconscious victim who is breathing normally to keep the airway clear and prevent choking.

Basic Life Support compression rate

The recommended speed for delivering chest compressions during CPR, which is $100\text{ to }120\text{ compressions/min}$.

Basic Life Support compression depth

The required depth to compress the sternum during adult chest compressions, specified as $5\text{ to }6\,cm$.

CPR compression-to-ventilation ratio

The standard sequence ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths during basic CPR, which is $30:2$.

Compression-only CPR

Continuous chest compressions delivered at a rate of $100\text{ to }120\text{ compressions/min}$ without rescue breaths, performed when a rescuer is untrained or unwilling to give breaths.

CPR rescuer changeover interval

The recommended time interval (every $1\text{ to }2\,min$) at which rescuers should switch performing CPR to prevent fatigue when multiple rescuers are present.

Oropharyngeal Airway

An artificial airway device used as a bite block and to maintain airway patency; contraindicated in patients with intact pharyngeal and laryngeal reflexes.

Nasopharyngeal Airway

An artificial airway tube passed through the nose to maintain airway patency; contraindicated in nasal airway occlusion/fractures, marked deviated septum, coagulopathy, or CSF rhinorrhea.

Mouth-to-nose ventilation

An alternative method of rescue breathing used when a victim's mouth is severely injured, cannot be opened, when rescuing in water, or when a mouth-to-mouth seal cannot be maintained.

CPR regurgitation management

The immediate action when a victim vomits during CPR: turn the victim onto their side facing down, clear residual debris with fingers, roll back onto their back, re-establish the airway, and resume CPR.