Page 12 - Heartsafe | Better. Hands Down.

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Introduction

Life Threatening Priorities

There are many causes of sudden death. However, regardless of the cause, any time
the patient is unconscious your medical treatment will be basically the same.

In the Priority Assessment the First Aider searches and cares for anything which
may compromise the:

Circulation
Airway Breathing - Heart
- Blood Vessels
- Blood

The Rescuer must follow this Priority sequence in all medical emergencies.

1. Establish unresponsiveness
2. Activate EMS (9-1-1)
3. Ask yourself...Does the patient have an open Airway? Are they Breathing?
Is their heart Circulating blood?
4. Is the patient bleeding?
5. Is the patient in shock?

If any or all of their ABC's are compromised you will have to provide treatment for
each of them.
Airway

The airway is the physical passage that air takes to enter the lungs (fig. 1-2).
It can be obstructed by the person's tongue or an object that was in their mouth.
When you open a patient's airway, you lift the tongue away from the back of
their throat. Open the airway by tilting the head and lifting the chin (fig. 1-3).

fig.1-3
fig.1-2
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