Basic life support, or BLS, builds on a foundation of practical skills in knowing who, when and how to recognize and treat a person in need of emergency medical assistance. According to the American Heart Association, a victims' chance of survival is substantially higher when a bystander has basic life support skills and can render aid immediately. Basic life support does not include giving drugs or performing invasive procedures, as outlined in the American Heart Association advanced life support guidelines.
Chain of Survival
According to the American Heart Association the "Chain of Survival" describes the importance of how time-sensitive the basic life support response sequence is. This approach is particularly useful if a person is experiencing ventricular fibrillation during a sudden cardiac arrest. The "Chain of Survival" includes 1) Early recognition and confirmation of the emergency; 2) Notifying an emergency response team, such as 911; 3) Beginning cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 4) Early use of an Automated External Defibrillator, or AED; 5) Early advanced life support provided by a licensed medical provider.
Skills
Skills needed for BLS include the ability to identify a need and act under pressure, while still maintaining composure to remember and apply the skills learned in a basic life support class. When administering aid, safety to the provider as well as the victim is essential, so using a barrier device when giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is necessary. Just as important is protection against bodily fluids such as blood when helping an accident victim. An inexperienced rescuer should always remember to exercise caution when approaching and rendering assistance in unfamiliar surroundings.
Airway, Breathing and Circulation
Understanding the ABCs of rendering aid in an emergency situation can help the rescuer to understand what assistance might be needed. In BLS, "A" stands for the airway; keeping the airway clear of any obstructions that could impede breathing or limit the victim's ability to draw air into their lungs. The "B" stands for breathing, and the victim's ability to inflate and deflate their lungs allowing the process of respiration or the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Circulation or "C" is providing an oxygenated blood supply to the body, brain and heart.
Basic Life Support
According to the American Heart Association, BLS skills consist of a series of steps involving the assessment and subsequent actions learned in a BLS class. The first step in BLS is to check the victims' response level. If medical assistance is needed, leave the victim and call 911, returning with an AED, if possible. If the victim is unresponsive, using the head tilt-chin lift maneuver, open his airway and check for breathing. If not breathing, give two breaths, if there is no response, check the pulse. If the victim has a pulse, give one breath every five to six seconds, rechecking the pulse every two minutes, if the victim does not have a pulse, give cycles of 30 compressions and two breaths until the patient responds or a licensed medical professional arrives.
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