Maria Leonie Dela Cruz

BSN 460 - Block AAA

 Procedure
1. Verify scene safely
2. Check for responsiveness
3. Shout for nearby help
4. Activate emergency response system via
mobile device (if appropriate)
5. Get AED and emergency equipment (or
send someone to do so)
6. Look for no breathing or only gasping and
check pulse (simultaneously). Is pulse
definitely felt within 10 seconds?
Normal breathing, pulse felt
1. Monitor until emergency responders
arrive
Rationale
1. It is important to make sure the scene is
safe before we intervene as we might be
putting our own selves in danger.
2. Tapping the patient or looking for some
sort of response can help confirm if the
patient is actually unconscious or just
asleep, as CPR should not be performed
on conscious persons.
3. Asking or shouting for help signals that
there is an emergency. This also means
more helping hands in dealing with the
victim.
4. This involves calling for rescuers and
medical personnel. This is also where the
shout for help comes in handy as the
bystanders can call emergency services
for you. If you use your own
communication device though, it’s best to
put it in loud speaker so you can still
communicate with the emergency
personnel without taking attention away
from the victim. The emergency
personnel can also tell you what you need
to do, so it’s best to avoid hanging up.
5. An AED or automated external
defibrillator analyzes the heart’s rhythm
and determines if it is necessary to
deliver an electrical shock to help the
heart start running again. AEDs should be
used immediately when available as this
can increase the chances of the victim’s
of survival
6. Checking for presence of breathing and
pulse determines the necessary
interventions that should be performed.
Assessment for these should be no more
than 10 seconds as this delays the care
the patient should be receiving.
Normal breathing, pulse felt
1. Monitoring the victim before the
emergency responders arrive can help
you perform the necessary interventions
as soon as possible should there be a shift
in their condition. You can’t just leave a

No normal breathing, pulse felt
1. Provide rescue breathing, 1 breath every
6 seconds or 10 breaths/min
2. Check pulse every 2 minutes; if no pulse,
start CPR
3. If possible opioid overdose, administer
naloxone if available per protocol
No breathing, only gasping, pulse not felt
1. Start CPR
a. Perform cycles of 30
compressions and 2 breaths
b. Use AED as soon as it is possible
2. AED arrives
person lying around unconscious as they
are very vulnerable and susceptible to
danger.
No normal breathing, pulse felt
1. Giving rescue breaths supplies the victim
with oxygen. This helps in preventing
cerebral hypoxia since brain damage
occurs after only 3 minutes without
oxygen to the brain.
2. This is important as performing CPR when
there is a pulse present can harm the
victim. Checking constantly also makes
sure that we can perform CPR as soon as
possible should the pulse disappear.
3. Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist
meaning it binds to opioid receptors and
reverses or blocks the effects of other
opioids. Giving naloxone rapidly reverses
the effects of opioid drugs, restoring
normal respiration.
No breathing, only gasping, pulse not felt
1. Absence of respiration and pulse
indicates immediate CPR try and start the
heart back up again through pumping in
order to deliver oxygen-rich blood
throughout the body, especially the brain
to avoid cerebral injury secondary to
hypoxia.
a. 3 sets of the 30:2 ratio enables us
to deliver 90 compressions in a
minute, which creates better
perfusion of blood carrying
oxygen to the heart.
b. An AED or automated external
defibrillator analyzes the heart’s
rhythm and determines if it is
necessary to deliver an electrical
shock to help the heart start
running again. AEDs should be
used immediately when available
as this can increase the chances
of the victim’s of survival
2. An AED or automated external
defibrillator analyzes the heart’s rhythm
and determines if it is necessary to
 deliver an electrical shock to help the
heart start running again. AEDs should be
used immediately when available as this
can increase the chances of the victim’s
of survival
3. Check rhythm, shockable rhythm? 3. Shockable rhythms are heart rhythms
that are caused by an aberration in the
heart's electrical conduction system. One
important aspect of ACLS (advanced
cardiac life support) is determining the
right medication or therapy to use at the
appropriate time and this includes
deciding when to defibrillate.
a. Yes, shockable a. The shockable rhythms are those
i. Give 1 shock. Resume of Ventricular fibrillation and
CPR immediately for 2 Pulseless ventricular tachycardia.
minutes (until prompted A shock will be delivered every 2
by AED to allow rhythm minutes to help the heart return
check) to its normal rhythm. CPR should
ii. Continue until ALS be resumed after said shock has
providers take over or been delivered to ensure that
victim starts to move oxygen-rich blood is still being
pumped to the brain and the rest
of the body.
b. No, nonshockable b. The two nonshockable rhythms
i. Resume CPR immediately are pulseless electrical activity
for 2 minutes (until (PEA) and asystole. Avoid
prompted by AED to delaying CPR for more than 10
allow rhythm check) seconds to avoid discontinuing
ii. Continue until ALS coronary perfusion. This also
providers take over or ensures that the victim’s brain
victim starts to move gets oxygen-rich blood to prevent
cerebral injury secondary to
hypoxia before the professionals
arrive or until the victim regains
respirations and pulse.
References:

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k.

Figuero, M. (2020, July 18). Online First Aid Class | Assess the scene and call 911. AEDCPR -
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Hinkle, J. L., & Cheever, K. H. (2018). Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-surgical
Nursing. Wolters Kluwer

Martin, P. (2020, August 7). Shockable rhythms. ACLS Wiki. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from
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https://www.advmedics.com/blogs/news/activating-ems-what-your-you-may-not-know-ad
venture-medics-bend-or

Medistudents Staff. (2017, Nov. 6). Basic Life Support. Retrieved October 30, 2022 from
:https://www.medistudents.com/osce-skills/basic-life-support

Naznim, W. L. (n.d.). 7. Cpr Checklist. Scribd. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from
https://www.scribd.com/document/259876980/7-Cpr-Checklist

Sarver Heart Center Staff. (n.d.) Frequently Asked Questions about Chest Compressions.
Retrieved October 30, 2022 from
:‌https://heart.arizona.edu/heart-health/learn-cpr/frequently-asked-questions-about-chest-
compression-only-cpr#:~:text=The%20person%20was%20breathing%20normally,by%20
performing%20chest%20compressions%20continuously.

Shockable vs. non-shockable heart rhythms. Help. (2019, March 3). Retrieved October 30,
2022, from
https://www.helpaheartcpr.com/help-a-heart-cpr-blog/shockable-vs-non-shockable-heart-
rhythms

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, January 23). Naloxone for opioid
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Wagner, D. (2021, January 27). BLS Adult Cardiac Arrest Algorithm. ACLS.com Resources.
https://resources.acls.com/free-resources/bls-algorithms/adult-cardiac-arrest?fbclid=IwA
R0hBumfIPoLhutwvkQ4Odk6xWCRhNrdzutbF9gyutINUlJD7AabCe7s9SI

What is AED? | Learn What an AED Is | Red Cross. (n.d.). Red Cross. Retrieved October 30,
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