American Red Cross Lifeguarding: CPR, AED, and Obstructed Airway Care

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering cardiac emergencies, CPR guidelines across age groups, AED protocols, team resuscitation roles, and obstructed airway management from American Red Cross Lifeguarding Lesson 6.

Cardiac Arrest

A condition that occurs when the heart stops beating or beats too ineffectively to circulate blood to the brain and other vital organs.

Agonal Breathing

Isolated or infrequent gasping that can occur in cardiac arrest, which is not normal breathing and should be treated as no breathing.

ROSC

Return of Spontaneous Circulation; the resumption of a sustained heart rhythm and perfusion, indicated by signs such as movement, normal breathing, or coughing.

High-Quality CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation characterized by compressing on a firm, flat surface at the correct rate and depth, allowing full chest recoil after each compression, minimizing interruptions, and avoiding excessive ventilations.

Infant (CPR Age Classification)

An individual younger than 1 year of age.

Child (CPR Age Classification)

An individual from 1 year of age until the onset of puberty.

Adolescent (CPR Age Classification)

An individual from the onset of puberty until adulthood.

Adult Chest Compression Depth

A compression depth of at least 2 inches.

Child Chest Compression Depth

A compression depth of about 2 inches.

Infant Chest Compression Depth

A compression depth of about 1 ½ inches.

Two-Rescuer Adult CPR Ratio

A compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30 compressions to 2 ventilations ($30:2$).

Two-Rescuer Child/Infant CPR Ratio

A compression-to-ventilation ratio of 15 compressions to 2 ventilations ($15:2$).

Encircling Thumbs Technique

The compression method used for an infant during two-rescuer CPR where both thumbs press the lower third of the sternum while the fingers encircle the infant's chest.

Pediatric AED Threshold

The criteria for using pediatric AED pads or a pediatric setting: a patient who is younger than 8 years of age or weighs less than 55 pounds ($25\,\text{kg}$).

Adult AED Pad Placement

One pad placed on the upper right side of the chest and the other pad placed on the lower left side of the chest, a few inches below the armpit.

Anterior/Posterior (Front/Back) AED Pad Placement

Pad placement required for infants (and for children if standard pads risk touching), with one pad placed in the center of the chest and the other placed on the back between the shoulder blades.

Chest Thrusts (Choking Care)

An alternative clearance technique to abdominal thrusts indicated when the rescuer cannot reach around the person, the person is pregnant, the person is in a wheelchair with obstructive features, or initial thrusts fail.

Compressor (Team Response)

The multiple-rescuer team member responsible for delivering high-quality chest compressions and calling for role switches.

Ventilator (Team Response)

The multiple-rescuer team member responsible for delivering ventilations using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator.

Airway Manager (Team Response)

The multiple-rescuer team member responsible for positioning and sealing the resuscitation mask while maintaining an open airway.

AED Operator (Team Response)

The multiple-rescuer team member responsible for turning on the AED, applying the pads, and following device prompts.