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In many cases, cardiac arrest is preceded by respiratory arrest. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize respiratory issues in order to take steps to prevent cardiac arrest. When a person of any age has a pulse but is not breathing (or is not breathing well), immediately open the airway using the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver and begin rescue breathing. See for details on rescue breathing.
Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D., MSN — Written by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph.D. on September 25, 2020 Share on PinterestCredit Image: Fokusiert / Getty Images First aid is the immediate care that’s given to someone who’s ill or injured before emergency medical services (EMS) arrive on the scene. In an emergency situation, prompt first aid can be vital in helping to save a life. When you’re faced with an emergency situation, there are some important things to remember as you give first aid. These are often referred to as the “ABCs of first aid.” Read on below to learn more about the ABCs of first aid and what to do in an emergency situation. The ABCs of first aid consist of three different components. Let’s explore each one in more detail. A = AirwayA blocked airway can hamper a person’s ability to breathe. You can help open someone’s airway by doing the following:
B = BreathingBreathing supplies the body with life-giving oxygen. That’s why it’s crucial to determine whether someone is breathing or not. To determine if a person is breathing normally, take these steps:
You can perform rescue breaths on someone who isn’t breathing. This helps you temporarily breathe for the other person. Rescue breaths, along with chest compressions, are given during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). C = Circulation/CompressionWhile breathing enriches the blood with oxygen, it’s the beating of the heart that delivers this oxygen throughout the body. When organs and tissues don’t receive enough oxygen, they can begin to die. If you find that a person isn’t breathing, chest compressions are vital for restoring blood circulation in the body. In 2010, the American Heart Association issued updated first aid recommendations. As a part of this, the order that you perform the ABCs has been changed to CAB:
There are a couple of reasons for this change:
Following the guideline update, the new CAB approach was compared to the old ABC approach. Studies found that the CAB approach was more favorable in providing a timely intervention. The ‘D’ of first aidSometimes you may see an additional letter associated with the ABCs of first aid. This letter is D. It can mean a few different things:
You may be wondering what to do if you find yourself in an emergency situation. When faced with an emergency, focus on following the three steps below. 1. Check for dangerAssess your immediate surroundings for any signs of danger. Some examples include:
If the area appears clear of immediate dangers, proceed to the next step. If not, leave the area and call 911. 2. Call for helpIf a person is unconscious, unresponsive, or seriously injured, call 911. If you’re around others, tell someone to make the call while you begin to provide care. If you’re alone, you can make the call yourself. 3. Provide first aid careWhile you’re waiting for help to arrive, begin to provide first aid. If the person is conscious and alert, be sure to get their consent before providing care. CPR is a first aid technique that’s used when an individual’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped. Follow the steps below to perform CPR on an adult. The steps involved with performing CPR on a child are very similar to those for an adult. You’ll still give cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths. If the child is small, only use one hand for chest compressions instead of two. For infantsWhen giving CPR to an infant, only use two fingers when delivering chest compressions. Compress the chest about 1.5 inches instead of 2 inches. Rescue breaths are also performed slightly differently in infants:
Important: As with adults, give hands-only CPR if you’re not trained in CPR. There are some situations in which a person’s heart may still be beating but they’re unconscious. Many things can cause this, including: If someone is unconscious and their heart is beating, you can follow the steps below while you wait for emergency services to arrive. Check their breathingIf they’re breathing, proceed to the next step. If they’re not breathing, call 911 and do CPR until help arrives. Move them into the recovery positionThe recovery position helps keep a person’s airway open and prevent choking. To move someone into the recovery position:
Call for helpOnce they’re in the recovery position, call 911. Stay with them to monitor their condition until help arrives. In an emergency situation, there are some important steps to remember when giving first aid. These are often referred to as the “ABCs of first aid.” According to updated guidelines, it’s important to perform them in this order:
CPR is a first aid technique that’s closely associated with the ABCs. It consists of giving cycles of chest compressions and rescue breaths. In addition to scenarios that involve no breathing or heartbeat, there are other life threatening conditions that require immediate medical attention. These include but aren’t limited to situations where a person is unconscious, has trouble breathing, is bleeding heavily, or has severe burns. Last medically reviewed on September 25, 2020 Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
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