Emergency procedures

[Shell]

Emergency procedures​

This includes the basic life support procedure for the United States, and it's saved two lives through my hands and lungs. I've memorized it. You should memorize it as well.


CPR is used on a person who has gone into cardiac arrest (meaning their heart has stopped beating) and who's not breathing in order to provide oxygenated blood to their body until medical technicians arrive. ​

Vocabulary:
Sternum: the place where your ribcage separates, below the breastbone
Dominant: the appendage (in this case, hand) that you commonly write with
​

Move the victim to a safe place if absolutely necessary (from the middle of the road, etc).

Check the victim's level of consciousness.
- Ask "Are you okay?"
- Pinch their arm to determine response to pain

Instruct a bystander to call 911.

Airway blockage:
Tilt the victim's head backward and lift their chin. This ensures that their airway is a straight line.

Check for foreign objects blocking their airway. If foreign objects are present and accessible, sweep them out with your finger.
If you don't see any foreign objects, do no sweep your finger back, as you can lodge them further into the victim's throat.

Check for breathing:

LOOK to see if their chest is rising.
LISTEN for breath.
FEEL above their mouth (without touching it) with your fingertips, lips, or cheek.​

If the patient is breathing, place them in the recovery position* and wait for EMTs.

If not, proceed.​

Give the victim two breaths.

Make sure that their chest is rising.

If it isn't, reposition their head.
If unsuccessful after three repositions, begin compressions.

Compress their chest exactly where their ribs meet 30 times.
This area is called the "sternum." Something usually breaks during correctly-performed CPR, so push very firmly.
The most effective method is to use the heal of your dominant hand and to place your nondominant hand on top, interlocking fingers.

Check airway for foreign objects, removing any found. Continue compressions.​

If their chest rises, check for a pulse below the square of their jaw.

If a pulse is present, continue with artificial ventilation.
If a pulse isn't present, begin CPR.
Give the victim a chest compressions and b artificial ventilations.

If the victim is an infant: a = 15, b = 2
If the victim is an adult: a = 30, b = 2​

After 5 cycles of CPR, access the patient's airway, and repeat from the of the emergency procedure.​

Continue until you feel a pulse, you are relieved from duty from someone with more training, or the victim is pronounced dead by a medical doctor.


ICO drowning

Provide CPR as soon as the victim is pulled from the water, with a focus on rescue breathing (increase compression:ventilation ration to 30:3 for adults).​

ICO choking

If they are audibly coughing, do nothing.
If the victim cannot speak or breathe, intervene.

Apply abdominal thrusts until airway obstruction is relieved.
These thrusts are easiest to apply from behind the victim, with your non-dominant hand grasping your dominant.

If victim becomes unresponsive, call 911, commence with CPR.
​

*The recovery position isn't universal, but my favorite has the victim on their side, with one leg in full contact with the ground, curled
backward, and the other in a running position forward, with the foot on the ground. This prevents the victim from rolling. One wrist should be
below the victim's jaw, with the other extended outward. Their mouth should be slightly downward. This facilitates breathing.

Any questions?​

​

 

[khalsa1430]

Well written, but it seems you can find the same info in a brochure at any medical facility.

 

[Shell]

Well written, but it seems you can find the same info in a brochure at any medical facility.

Of course you can find the information from any guide at a facility that specializes in the topic.

I'll probably expand it some more. Any ideas?

 

[khalsa1430]

Of course you can find the information from any guide at a facility that specializes in the topic.

I'll probably expand it some more. Any ideas?

For every situation (ie. choking, cardiac arrest) write whats happening internally, and the reason you do the procedure in a certain way.

Also include what not to do.

 

[Shell]

For every situation (ie. choking, cardiac arrest) write whats happening internally, and the reason you do the procedure in a certain way.

Also include what not to do.

I added everything in color (a few addendums to instructions, the compression:ventilation ratio, reasons to use CPR), a vocabulary section (post here if any of the vocabulary used in the guide is tough), and edited it a bit to make more sense to the layperson.