Adult Basic Life Support Sequence For Cardiac Arrest Victims In Memphis

Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening situation which can strike people irrespective of their age or sex. The best way to deal with cardiac emergencies is by getting trained in the life-saving CPR techniques. Healthcare providers and medical students can go for a BLS certification Memphis program in order to learn the indispensable life-saving procedures. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation which is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths. Proper application of the techniques can lead to the survival of a cardiac arrest victim. Always choose an accredited training center for training purpose. If you are a resident of Memphis in Tennessee enroll for a CPR class at the AHA accredited CPR Memphis where classes are conducted by certified instructors. Go through the course curriculum prior to enrolling for a program as there are programs for both healthcare as well as non-healthcare providers. 

Read on to know about the Adult Basic Life Support sequence:

1.      Prior to everything else, make sure that you, the victim and the bystanders are all safe. Then check for the responsiveness of the victim by shaking his or her shoulder.

2.      If the victim responds, leave him in the position as it is and make sure there is no further danger. Ask whether he needs any help. If the victim is unresponsive, shout for help and call for the emergency medical services if you are not aware of the life-saving procedures. Turn the victim onto his back and then open the airway using head; tilt and chin lift; gently tilt his head back and place your hand on his forehead; lift the chin to open the airway with your fingertips under the point of the victim’s chin.

3.      After opening the airway, check whether the victim is breathing:

3.1.   Look for chest movement, go near the victim’s mouth and listen for breath sounds, check whether breathing is normal, not normal or absent.

4.      If the victim is breathing normally:

4.1.   Call for help or dial 911 for the emergency medical services

4.2.   See to it that the breathing remains normal

5.      If the breathing is not normal or absent:

5.1.   Send someone to look for an AED device.

5.2.   Start With Chest Compressions- place the heel of one hand in the centre of the victim’s chest; (the lower half of the victim’s breastbone- sternum); place the heel of the other hand on top of the first; interlock the fingers and keep your arms straight, do not apply any pressure over the upper abdomen or the bottom end of the sternum; position yourself vertically above the victim’s chest and press down on the sternum at a depth of 5 cm; continue with the chest compressions at the rate of 100 per minute; after each compression, release all the pressure and both compression and release should take equal amounts of time.

6.      Start with the rescue breaths:

6.1.   Pinch the nose with the index finger and thumb of your hand and open the mouth with the chin lift.

6.2.   Take a normal breath and place your lips around his mouth, making sure that you have a good seal.

6.3.   Blow into the victim’s mouth and check for his or her chest to rise, the rescue breath should at least last 1 second.

6.4.   Maintaining head tilt and chin lift, take your mouth away from the victim and watch for the chest to fall as air comes out.

6.5.   Then provide the victim with another rescue breath and the two rescue breaths should not take more than 5 seconds in all.

6.6.   Continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths in a ratio of 30:2.

6.7.   Do pause for a moment to recheck only if the victim starts to wake up: to move or open eyes and to breathe normally. Otherwise, do not interrupt resuscitation. If your rescue breath does not make the chest rise then prior to the next attempt: look into the victim’s mouth to check for any obstruction, re-check that there is adequate head tilt and chin lift.

6.8.   If there is any other rescuer present, he or she should take over from the first rescuer in delivering CPR in order to avoid fatigue. See to it that there is minimum interruption during chest compressions.

7.      The resuscitation should not be interrupted until the arrival of emergency medical services or the victim starts to regain consciousness or you become exhausted.

Enroll for a BLS certification Memphis program at CPR Memphis and stay prepared in facing cardiac emergencies efficiently. For more information or to register for the program call on 901-438-4200.