We will perform the Basic Life Support maneuvers in every patient who is in cardiorespiratory arrest. To make them more effective, we will follow the following sequence of action:
- Guarantee the security
We will approach the victim ensuring that there are no dangers, such as vehicle traffic, debris, …
- Check if the victim responds or not:
We will consider that you are CONSCIOUS and breathing, we will follow the following steps:
- We will leave the victim in the position we found her.
- We will assess any injuries or medical problems you may have.
- If necessary, we will activate the emergency medical system by calling 112.
- We will reassess the victim regularly.
We will consider that you are UNCONSCIOUS and we will follow the following steps:
- We will place the victim on his back.
- We will open the airway by performing the forehead-chin maneuver, with one hand on the forehead and the index and middle fingers of the other hand on the chin.
- We will check if you breathe normally
Maintaining the forehead-chin maneuver and looking at the victim’s feet, we will bring our cheek to his mouth, observing if the victim breathes normally for a maximum of 10 seconds
If he breathes normally, we will place the victim in a lateral safety position (PLS) and then we will activate the medical emergency system by calling 112. Until the ambulance arrives, we will continue to control that the victim breathes.
If he does not breathe normally or does not breathe at all, we will consider that he has an abnormal or agonal breathing when the victim puffs without displacement of the chest. It will be understood that the victim is not breathing. We will place the victim on a firm surface (example: the ground) and face up.
- We will activate the emergency system
We will explain very clearly the place where we are and that the victim has a cardiorespiratory arrest. If we are accompanied, we will tell you to call 112 and we will send you to find an AED. If we are alone we will call 112 (if necessary leaving the victim alone) and we will try to get an AED. We will activate the hands-free mobile phone to facilitate communication with the 112 operator.
- We will start chest compressions
Every victim who suffers a cardiorespiratory arrest needs blood to flow through the vital organs, this will be achieved by performing compressions in the middle of the chest. After the 30 compressions we will perform 2 insufflations. Immediately afterwards, we will do 30 compressions again, following the 30: 2 sequence. If there is more than one rescuer, they will be relieved every 2 minutes avoiding the interruption of compressions between relays.