Basic Life Support (BLS) is a treatment method used to assist patients in emergencies. The technique is effective in improving patients’ respiration and circulation by using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Medica team takes time to arrive at the emergency spot, so this method allows you to maintain the stability of the patient’s condition. By providing the correct BLS to the victim, you can increase the chance of the patient’s survival. But it is essential to understand that it is just a temporary treatment. You should not try something that you do not know, or it can put the patient’s life in danger.
BLS is an integral part of any resuscitation attempt. Its key factors include an early call for medical assistance, prompt recognition for cardiac arrest, early defibrillation, and integrated post-cardiac arrest care. But to understand the algorithm of the BLS, you must know about its critical components. Its algorithm consists of 7 parts known as DRSABCD (Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, Compression, and Defibrillation). Let’s explore in detail the components of the BLS algorithm.
Danger
The danger is also associated with risks, hazards, and safety. While following the basic rules of BLS, you have to consider your safety first. Then you need to assess the condition of the victim and act accordingly. If you have a BLS certification and it is expired, then you must renew it right away. It will make you familiar with the latest practices. You may go for the bls renewal online option if professional or personal obligations occupy you. Taking the proper steps according to the situation is vital, and updated BLS certification helps you do it.
You should be aware of the three categories related to a danger: manual handling, infection control, and personal, proactive equipment handling. In manual handling, the rescuer should not move the patient without getting proper medical assistance. While dealing with infection control, you have to take the appropriate safety measures.
Response
As a rescuer, you should try to get a response from the victim. You also have to ensure not to aggravate any injury. Tap the foot of the victims to get an answer or ask about their condition. It will help you judge their situation and take the step accordingly. If a patient is not showing any response, then it is essential to treat the patient unconsciously.
Send for Help
While rescuing a patient, it is your primary responsibility to ask for help by calling the emergency phone numbers. Therefore, you must know how to deal with emergencies as per your local settings. You should know where alarms and buzzes are present and emergency equipment. You can not afford to wait for medical assistance to arrive, so you should not waste any time if you are confident of treating the patient yourself.
You must understand how the processes will be carried out in the institution where you work. If the patient’s condition does not improve after the first two minutes of CPR, you should call for assistance.
Airway
A clear and open airway is required for quality breathing to help the patient return to the original senses. The absence of an airway can cause many issues for the victim and prevent the recovery of the stable condition. You can observe the lack of a clear airway if the individual does not respond much or has noisy breathing. Therefore, the airway must be open and cleared. Air may flow freely from the mouth or nose to the lungs and other areas of the body in a normal airway.
Breathing
To ensure that the victim’s breathing is normal, you must know that airflow can get restricted at different locations, including the soft palate, tongue base, and uvula. The blockage of airways can cause severe breathing issues, so you should beware of it. Some of the causes of the obstructed airway are the presence of solid material due to any allergy, injury, or toxic fumes.
Compressions
You have to implement chest compression when a patient is not responsive at all. Implementing compression can increase the chances of improving the patient’s condition. It significantly impacts the heart and brain by keeping it perfused with the oxygenated blood in the system. While compressing, keep the following rules in mind. Try to keep a minimum of 100 to 120 compressions per minute for all ages. Firmly push down the sternum to the chest and push it in a regular rhythm. You can repeat the frequent rotation of the process but avoid the compression below the lower limits of the sternum as it can cause damage to the liver.
Defibrillation
Defibrillation is the process performed with a device Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The use of AED is now an integral part of the BLS algorithm that helps to ensure that the relevant authorities recommend it. AEDs can examine the cardiac rhythm as a “non-shockable” or “shockable” rhythm. It will prompt the user to defibrillate either “shock not advised” or “shock advised.”
A defibrillation shock treats the shockable rhythms. The AED generates around 200 Joule, so you also have to take safety measures to keep yourself and the people around you completely safe. It has been proven worldwide that early defibrillation increases survival rates. After applying the arrest, it can improve for up to 6 to 10 minutes. So, if you know how to use CPR in the right way, you will have good chances of saving the patient’s life.
Conclusion
Keeping yourself and your loved ones has become crucial in today’s fast-paced world. The BLS algorithm provides you with the complete layout that you can follow and implement to save the lives of victims in emergencies. But it is essential to have the proper training, so in the crunch moment, you can deal with pressure effectively and stabilize the condition of the patient till medical help arrives. It will help you save the lives of many and ensure a safer and healthier workplace environment.
Leave a Reply