Cardiac Chain of Survival

The chain of survival consists of four key steps: early recognition and activation of the emergency response system, early CPR, rapid defibrillation, and advanced life support.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

An emergency procedure is used to restart a person's heartbeat and breathing after one or both have stopped. It involves giving strong, rapid pushes to the chest to keep blood moving through the body.

Chest Compressions

It involves giving strong, rapid pushes to the chest to keep blood moving through the body. Usually, it also involves blowing air into the person's mouth to help with breathing and send oxygen to the lungs. Also called cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Consent

Informed consent is a process of communication between you and your health care provider that often leads to agreement or permission for care, treatment, or services.

Defibrillation

Introduction. Cardiac defibrillation is the act of administering a transthoracic electrical current to a person experiencing one of the two lethal ventricular dysrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Diabetic Emergency

Diabetes is a long-term medical condition where the body cannot produce enough insulin. Sometimes those who have diabetes may have a diabetic emergency, where their blood sugar level becomes too high or too low. Both conditions could be serious and may need treatment in hospital.

First Aid

First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred. It often consists of a one-time, short-term treatment and requires little technology or training to administer.

Good Samaritan Laws

Good Samaritan laws provide liability protection against "ordinary negligence," which refers to the failure to act as a reasonably prudent person under similar circumstances.

Heimlich Maneuver

The abdominal thrust maneuver, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, is used to treat upper airway obstructions caused by foreign bodies. This maneuver is commonly taught during basic life support and advanced cardiac life support classes but is not given as much attention as chest compressions.

Laceration

Lacerations are a pattern of injury in which skin and underlying tissues are cut or torn. Healthcare providers encounter lacerations regularly.

Puncture

A deep cut can affect tendons, muscles, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, or bones. A puncture is a wound made by a pointed object such as a nail, knife, or sharp tooth.

Rescue Breaths

Rescue breathing is a type of first aid that's used if someone has stopped breathing. During rescue breathing, you gently breathe into a person's mouth every few seconds. This helps provide them with oxygen until help arrives.

Respiratory Arrest

Respiratory arrest is simply the absence of breathing. It can result from respiratory distress, respiratory failure, or other events including acute head injury or drowning.

Signals of a Heart Attack

Common heart attack symptoms include: Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching. Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly. Cold sweat.

Seizures

A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain. It can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings and levels of consciousness. Having two or more seizures at least 24 hours apart that don't have a known cause is considered to be epilepsy.

Shock

Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly. Many organs can be damaged as a result. Shock requires immediate treatment and can get worse very rapidly

Tourniquets

A device, such as a strip of cloth or a band of rubber, that is wrapped tightly around a leg or an arm to prevent the flow of blood to the leg or the arm for a period of time.