Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Handbook Review

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to Basic Life Support (BLS) training, emphasizing vital techniques, procedures, and devices used in emergency situations.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

A set of life-saving procedures that includes chest compressions, airway management, and defibrillation to treat cardiac arrest.

Chain of Survival

A sequence of actions that, when performed in order, provides the best chance of survival for victims of cardiac arrest.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and is able to treat them through defibrillation.

High-quality CPR

CPR that ensures adequate chest compressions, minimal interruptions, and proper ventilation to increase the chances of survival.

Compression Rate

The recommended rate of chest compressions during CPR, which is typically 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

AED Pads Placement

The correct positioning of AED pads on a patient's chest to ensure effective analysis and delivery of a shock.

Ventilation Rate for Adults

The recommended rate of breaths given during CPR for adults, typically 10-12 breaths per minute.

Choking Relief in Adults

Using abdominal thrusts or back blows to clear the airway of an obstructed individual.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Gear worn to protect the user from hazards while performing CPR, including gloves and masks.

Advanced Life Support (ALS)

A set of advanced medical interventions performed by health professionals post-cardiac arrest.

Rescue Breathing

Providing breaths to a person not breathing normally while ensuring their airway is open.

Compressions to Ventilation Ratio

The ratio of chest compressions to ventilations during CPR; for adults, typically 30:2.

Two-Rescuer CPR

A method of providing CPR where two rescuers alternate tasks to maintain high quality compressions and ventilations.

Recovery Position

A position used for an unresponsive but breathing individual to keep the airway clear.

Pulse Check

An action taken to detect the presence of a pulse in a victim, typically assessed at the carotid artery.

Respiratory Arrest

A condition where a person stops breathing, which may lead to cardiac arrest if not promptly addressed.

Ventricular Fibrillation

A life-threatening heart rhythm that results in ineffective quivering of the heart, leading to cardiac arrest.

Abdominal Thrusts

A maneuver used to relieve choking in responsive adults by applying upward force to expel an obstruction from the airway.

Back Blows and Chest Thrusts

Techniques used for relieving choking in infants by delivering blows to the back and thrusts to the chest.

BLS Algorithm for Adults

A systematic guide indicating the steps to provide effective BLS to adults in emergencies.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards during CPR.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

A set of life-saving procedures that includes chest compressions, airway management, and defibrillation to treat cardiac arrest.

Chain of Survival

A sequence of actions that, when performed in order, provides the best chance of survival for victims of cardiac arrest.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and is able to treat them through defibrillation.

High-quality CPR

CPR that ensures adequate chest compressions, minimal interruptions, and proper ventilation to increase the chances of survival.

Compression Rate

The recommended rate of chest compressions during CPR, which is typically 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

AED Pads Placement

The correct positioning of AED pads on a patient's chest to ensure effective analysis and delivery of a shock.

Ventilation Rate for Adults

The recommended rate of breaths given during CPR for adults, typically 10-12 breaths per minute.

Choking Relief in Adults

Using abdominal thrusts or back blows to clear the airway of an obstructed individual.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Gear worn to protect the user from hazards while performing CPR, including gloves and masks.

Advanced Life Support (ALS)

A set of advanced medical interventions performed by health professionals post-cardiac arrest.

Rescue Breathing

Providing breaths to a person not breathing normally while ensuring their airway is open.

Compressions to Ventilation Ratio

The ratio of chest compressions to ventilations during CPR; for adults, typically 30:2.

Two-Rescuer CPR

A method of providing CPR where two rescuers alternate tasks to maintain high quality compressions and ventilations.

Recovery Position

A position used for an unresponsive but breathing individual to keep the airway clear.

Pulse Check

An action taken to detect the presence of a pulse in a victim, typically assessed at the carotid artery.

Respiratory Arrest

A condition where a person stops breathing, which may lead to cardiac arrest if not promptly addressed.

Ventricular Fibrillation

A life-threatening heart rhythm that results in ineffective quivering of the heart, leading to cardiac arrest.

Abdominal Thrusts

A maneuver used to relieve choking in responsive adults by applying upward force to expel an obstruction from the airway.

Back Blows and Chest Thrusts

Techniques used for relieving choking in infants by delivering blows to the back and thrusts to the chest.

BLS Algorithm for Adults

A systematic guide indicating the steps to provide effective BLS to adults in emergencies.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards during CPR.

You find an adult who has collapsed and is unresponsive. After checking for hazards, what are your immediate first steps according to the BLS algorithm?

1. Call for help (e.g., dial 911/emergency number). 2. Check for breathing and pulse simultaneously for no more than 10 seconds. If no pulse or abnormal breathing, begin chest compressions.

A conscious adult is eating in a restaurant and suddenly starts clutching their throat, unable to speak or cough. What rescue technique should you perform?

Perform 5 abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) until the object is expelled or the person becomes unconscious.

During CPR on an adult, you notice that the chest is not rising adequately with each breath, and the compressions seem weak. What adjustments are necessary to ensure high-quality CPR?

1. For ventilations, ensure a proper head-tilt chin-lift maneuver and a good seal to achieve visible chest rise. 2. For compressions, ensure adequate depth (at least 2 inches or 5 cm) and a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, allowing complete chest recoil.

An AED has arrived while you are performing CPR on an adult in cardiac arrest. What steps should you follow to use the AED effectively?

1. Power on the AED. 2. Attach AED pads to the patient's bare chest, typically one pad below the right collarbone and the other on the left side below the armpit. 3. Follow AED prompts: 'Analyzing rhythm,' 'Stay clear,' 'Shock advised,' 'Deliver shock.' 4. If a shock is delivered, immediately resume CPR. If no shock, continue CPR.

You are performing single-rescuer CPR, and a second trained rescuer arrives. How should you integrate the second rescuer to maintain high-quality CPR?

The second rescuer should immediately begin chest compressions while the first rescuer prepares to give ventilations. Rescuers should switch roles approximately every 2 minutes (or 5 cycles of 30:2) to prevent fatigue and maintain high-quality compressions, with minimal interruptions during the switch.

You discover an unresponsive adult who is breathing normally and has a palpable pulse. What is the appropriate position to place them in while awaiting professional medical help?

Place the individual into the recovery position to help keep the airway open and prevent aspiration, ensuring they are rolled onto their side with their head supported.

Before initiating CPR, what personal protective equipment (PPE) should rescuers ideally use to minimize exposure to potential hazards?

Rescuers should ideally wear gloves and consider a mask or barrier device (like a pocket mask with a one-way valve) to protect themselves from bodily fluids and airborne particles.

An infant is choking and conscious, but cannot cry or make sounds. How would you attempt to clear their airway?

Deliver a sequence of 5 back blows followed by 5 chest thrusts, repeated until the obstruction is relieved or the infant becomes unresponsive.

You encounter a victim who has collapsed and is not breathing, but has a strong pulse. What is the immediate intervention for this 'respiratory arrest' scenario?

Provide rescue breaths at a rate of 1 breath every 5-6 seconds (or 10-12 breaths per minute) for adults, while continuously monitoring for a pulse. If the pulse disappears, begin chest compressions.

You witness an adult collapse and become unresponsive. What is your role in performing steps of the 'Chain of Survival' as a lay rescuer?

As a lay rescuer, your primary roles are immediate recognition of cardiac arrest, prompt activation of the emergency response system (911 or local equivalent), and immediate high-quality CPR to bridge the time until professional help and defibrillation arrive.

You are performing single-rescuer CPR on an adult. What is the correct compression-to-ventilation ratio you should maintain, and what is the typical duration for each cycle before re-assessment?

Maintain a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2. Each cycle consists of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths. You should aim to perform 5 cycles in approximately 2 minutes before a brief re-assessment, if appropriate, and then continue CPR.

During AED use, after the device instructs 'No shock advised,' what is your next immediate action?

If the AED advises 'No shock advised,' immediately resume chest compressions and continue high-quality CPR. Do not remove the pads, as the AED will continue to monitor the patient's rhythm.

You check an unresponsive adult for a pulse for 10 seconds, but you are not sure if you definitely feel one. What should be your next step?

If you are unsure whether a pulse is present after checking for no more than 10 seconds, you should assume there is no pulse and immediately begin high-quality chest compressions. Do not delay CPR if there's any doubt.

While performing CPR on an adult, you need to minimize interruptions to chest compressions. What is the recommended maximum duration you should pause compressions for ventilations or other tasks?

Interruptions to chest compressions should ideally be kept to less than 10 seconds to ensure continuous blood flow to the brain and vital organs, maximizing the effectiveness of CPR.

You encounter an unresponsive child (e.g., between 1 year old and puberty) who is not breathing and has no pulse. As a single rescuer, what compression depth and compression-to-ventilation ratio should you use?

For a child, the compression depth should be about 2 inches (5 cm), or approximately one-third the depth of the chest. The single-rescuer ratio for compressions to ventilations is 30:2.

Before approaching any victim to provide Basic Life Support, what is the absolute first and most critical action you must take for both your safety and potentially the victim's?

The first critical action is to ensure scene safety. Quickly assess the environment for any hazards (e.g., traffic, fire, aggressive individuals, downed power lines) that could endanger you or the victim before initiating care.