First Aid II

2."Maintaining Airway,Breathing and Circulation"

          -the most important principle of first aid is ABC or resuscitation.This is a life-saving procedure that will enable you to decide whether a victim who has collapsed needs rescue breathing or CPR(cardiopulmonary resuscitation).The airway must be open,breathing must be checked and circulation must be assessed.Always follow the ABC sequence before giving any other treatment if the victim is unconscious.


a.Resuscitation-is the name given to the set of procedures that are applied when a person is not breathing and their heart has possibly stopped.The full set of procedures is known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR).Cardio relates to the heart and pulmonary to the lungs.

       A person whose heart has stopped(cardiac arrest),or who is not breathing(respiratory arrest),needs immediate treatment to improve the chances of survival.The best outcomes from cardiac and respiratory arrest are archieved when all the steps in tha chain of survival are in place:

Chain Of Survival:


☺Early call for help-Ambulances today carry a range of equipment and treatments vital to the survival of serious ill problem.Calling for an ambulance early is an essential part of the chain of survival,particularly for a victim whose heart has stopped.
                                           
☺Early CPR-the goal is to keep the person alive until emergency help arrives.Sometimes CPR alone will revive somebody whose heart has stopped but more often it is used to buy time until more advanced procedures are available.
                        


☺Early defibrillation-the most effective treatment for an adult whose heart has stopped pumping blood is defibrillation.It is a electric shock delivered in a very specific way to encourage the heart to begin beating effectively again.Defibrillators are carried in most ambulances.Their early use is an essential factor in their effectiveness,highlighting again the need for an early call for help.
                        


☺Early medical care-Medical treatments following cardiac and respiratory arrest are improving all the time.Early access to such treatments in the ambulance and in hospital play a major role in long-term survival rates.


                                        
The Principal Steps of Resuscitation
☺check for danger to yourself and the victim
☺check for a response from the victim
if there is no response,
☺open the airway
☺check for breathing

if there is no breathing,

☺give 2 effective rescue breaths
☺check for signs of circulation
if there are no signs of circulation
☺start CPR.