BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
DEFINITION Basic Life Support or BLS is a life saving measure for a client or individual who has lost consciousness with no heartbeat, no breathing, and no pulse; or an individual, who is experiencing symptoms of heart attack (MI); or an individual who is choked or has drowned.
GOALS OF BLS
To call attention to others for help.
To immediately restore blood
circulation by reviving the heart. To immediately restore breathing. To keep the individual safe till the rescue team gets to the scene.
WHEN TO APPLY BLS?
As a healthcare provider it is our duty
to save lives anywhere whenever there is an emergent situation like accident or an unconscious person and the situation is safe for us to intervene. These are the situations where BLS can be applied till necessary Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrive the scene.
BLS/CPR ADULTS
for
MAIN PARTS OF BLS
CHEST COMPRESSION
AIRWAY BREATHING
DEFIBRILLATION
RESPONDER/S
LONE RESPONDER means you are the
only person in the scene who has the knowledge of BLS or CPR. This may be in your house, campus or market.
TEAM RESPONDER means you are
organized as a team to respond to emergent situation as a hospital team or EMS unit.
LONE RESCUER
STEP ONE- ASSESSMENT Make sure the scene is safe for you and the victim. Check for response and breathing Tap the victims shoulder and shout, Are you alright? Check breathing. If the victim is not breathing or only gasping call for help. Ask by-passers to call EMS. Check pulse for not more than 10 seconds.
STEP TWO
BEGIN CPR:
Place the patient supine on a firm , flat
surface. Kneel at the level of the patient's shoulders. If he has suspected head or neck injury, he should not be moved unless it is absolutely necessary. Open the airway. Head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver Jaw-thrust maneuver
HEAD TILT CHIN MANUEVER
CHECK BREATHING SOUND
Perform rescue breathing by
mouth-to-mouth. While keeping the patients airway open, pinch the nostril closed. Take a deep breath , open your mouth wide, and place it around the outside edge of the patients mouth to create a seal.
CIRCULATION
Determine the presence or
absence of pulse Palpate the carotid pulse or femoral pulse for 5 to 10 seconds. If the pulse is not palpable, start external chest compressions.
EXTERNAL CHEST COMPRESSION
Kneel
as close to side of patients chest as possible. Place the heel of one hand on the lower half of the sternum. Make sure only the heel touches the chest.
While keeping your arms
straight elbows locked, and shoulders positioned directly over your hands, quickly and forcefully depress the lower half of the patients sternum straight down, 1 - 2 inches.
Release the external chest compression
completely and allow the chest to return to its normal position after each compression. The time allowed for release should equal the time required for compression. Do not lift your hands from the patients chest or change position.
For one-rescuer, 30 compressions at a rate of 80 to 100 per minute and then perform two (2) ventilations; reevaluate the patient. After four (4) cycles, check the pulse.
HEIMLICH MANUEVER
