Interactive Ready for Review: Interactivities

, such as CPR, is a noninvasive series of emergency lifesaving procedures that are carried out in order to treat airway obstruction, respiratory arrest, and cardiac arrest. Commonly known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), it is a method of providing artificial ventilation and circulation.

The effectiveness of BLS depends on prompt recognition of respiratory and/or cardiac arrest and the immediate initiation of treatment. You are expected to be able to recognize cardiac or respiratory arrest without difficulty and to quickly institute proper BLS measures.

BLS can be given by one or two EMT-Is or EMT-Bs, by first responders, or by alert, well-trained bystanders. It does not require any equipment; however, a device should be used to perform rescue breathing.

The basic principles of BLS are the same for infants, children, and adults. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), anyone younger than 1 year is considered an infant. A child is between the ages of 1 and 8 years. For children older than 8 years, you should use the same techniques as you use for adults.

Several methods exist for opening the airway and providing rescue breathing. Each has specific applications for conscious or unconscious patients, with or without head or spinal injury. The is effective for opening the airway of most patients. However, for patients who have suspected spinal injury, the is indicated.

Rescue breathing is done routinely with a barrier device, such as a mask, to provide infection control.

Sometimes, rescue breathing causes excess air to be forced into the stomach. The resulting condition is called gastric distention. A patient with gastric distention may vomit during CPR. If this condition develops, you should continue to provide slow rescue breaths; however, if gastric distention is interfering with your ability to perform effective ventilation, medical control may order you to turn the patient on his or her side and apply gentle pressure to the abdomen to relieve the gastric distention. Be sure to have suction immediately available.

If a patient begins breathing following rescue breathing, you should place the patient in the position. This position helps to maintain a clear airway in a patient with a decreased level of consciousness who has not had traumatic injuries and is breathing adequately on his or her own.

After you begin rescue breathing, you must assess the patient's circulation. If the patient has no pulse, you must provide artificial circulation by performing at the rate and depth appropriate for the patient's age.

If an is available, immediately attach it to the patient and provide defibrillation as indicated. The %%7%% is indicated for patients in nontraumatic cardiac arrest who are over the age of 1 year.

Remember that the patient must be on a firm, flat surface for chest compressions to be effective. Proper hand position and proper compression technique are essential for artificial circulation to be effective.

CPR can be done with one or two rescuers. Two- rescuer CPR is always the first choice. When a rescuer is doing adult CPR alone or with another rescuer, the ratio of compressions to ventilations is 15:2. Once the adult patient's airway is secured with an advanced airway device (such as an endotracheal tube), the ratio of compressions to ventilations becomes 5:1.

In infants and children, the ratio of compressions to ventilations is 5:1 for both one-rescuer and two-rescuer CPR.

Remember that you should try not to interrupt CPR for more than a few seconds, except when it is absolutely necessary.

Specific techniques must be used for removing foreign bodies that obstruct the airway. may be caused by many things, including relaxation of the tongue in an unconscious patient (most common), vomited or regurgitated stomach contents, a blood clot, damaged tissue after an injury, dentures, or a foreign body in the airway. Recognition of the %%8%% and prompt intervention are critical.

The manual maneuvers recommended for removing a foreign body airway obstruction are the abdominal-thrust maneuver (Heimlich maneuver) and chest thrusts. with manual removal of the object should follow.

In infants and children, the cause of airway obstruction may be infectious. Therefore, you should try to identify the cause of the obstruction as soon as possible. Infants and children with such infections need immediate transport to the hospital and will not benefit from attempts to relieve a foreign body airway obstruction.