BASIC LIFE SUPPORT FOR ADULT

Basic life support is giving heart Objectives:

resuscitation and rescue • Recognizing respiratory and cardiac arrest
breathing to someone who • Performing basic life support
have cardiac and respiratory • Applying automated external defibrillator (AED)
arrest.

RECOGNIZING RESPIRATORY AND CARDIAC ARREST

Evaluating Responsiveness
• Check to see if the victim is responsive.
• Tap victim’s shoulders, shout “ARE YOU OKAY?”
• Give pain stimuli and recognize even a small movement if the
victim still not responding.
• Call for emergency medical service

Evaluating the victim’s airway and pulse

• Perform head-tilt chin-lift technique
or modified jaw-thrust maneuver, if a
head-tilt chin-lift modified jaw-thrust
head, neck or spinal injury is
suspected

• Once the airway is open,

Look for chest Listen to the Feel the
simultaneously check for breathing expansion breath sound pulse
and a carotid pulse, for at least 5 but
no more than 10 seconds.

PERFORMING BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

PERFORMING RESCUE BREATHING

If the victim is not breathing but has definitive pulse, the patient
is in respiratory arrest and need to be given ventilation support.
Ventilations are given every 5-6 seconds and avoid
hyperventilation. There are 2 methods, using mouth-to-mouth or
using pocket mask
 PERFORMING BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

Open the airway using head-tilt chin-lift or jaw thrust, pinch the
nose and make a complete seal over the patient’s mouth with
your mouth. Make sure that the chest is expanding while giving
ventilation. If it doesn’t, reopen the airway.

Rescue breathing is evaluated every 2 minutes by assessing

breathing and the pulse. Continue rescue breathing if there’s still
definitive pulse. If the pulse can’t be determined, then do cardio-
pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as following instructions.

PERFORMING CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR)

When you determine that a patient is in unresponsive, no normal breathing, or no

definitive pulse, you need to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) following A-B-C
sequenced
AIRWAY and C-spine control
• Release airway with head-tilt chin-lift or jaw thrust and put on c-spine collar if there’s
any suspicion of neck trauma.

BREATHING:
• Give 2 rescue breath

CIRCULATION:
• Start with the immediate delivery of high quality chest compressions as explained
on following diagram.
 PERFORMING BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

WHERE TO FIND HEART?

Heart lying under the sternum, from intercostal

space 2-5. To perform chest compression, press
on the lower half of sternum

30:2 For adult patients, CPR consists of 30 chest

compressions followed by 2 ventilations

During adult CPR, you give 2

1 sec ventilations that last approximately 1
second each and make the chest rise

PERFORMING BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

When to stop?
- You see signs of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) such as patient
movement or breathing
- Other trained rescuers take over
- You're too exhausted
- The scene become unsafe

Recovery position

When the victim shows the sign of ROSC, you

should keep the airway clear and prevent
aspiration by positioning the victim to recovery
position.
 APPLYING AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED)

1. Turn on the AED

2. Check the person:
• If the person is lying in water or blood, pull the
person clear.
• Remove all clothing, jewellery, and medical patches
that may come in contact with the pads.
• Make sure the chest is dry and free of hair.
3. Follow the diagrams on the pads to place them on the
person.
• If you see a small scar and a lump on the chest,
apply the pads about 2.5 cm (1 in) away from the
lump.
• For a child or baby, use child or baby pads or ensure
that the pads are 2.5 cm (1 in) apart. Place one on
the front and one on the back if necessary.
4. Follow the AED’s instructions.
When the AED prompts you to give shock, stand clear.
Make sure no one is touching the person during the
“shock” phase.