Basic Life Support (BLS) Quiz

Basic Life Support (BLS)

• BLS is provided by first responders during cardiac arrest and respiratory distress.
• Early BLS can restart the heart and delay fatal outcomes.

Cardiac Arrest

• Unresponsive, absent or abnormal breathing (laboured, agonal gasping, moaning, sighing, groaning) are signs of cardiac arrest.
• Seizure-like movements may occur initially.
• The heart stops beating and cannot circulate blood properly.

BLS Steps

• Check for response: Determine if the person is conscious.
• Check for breathing: Look, listen, and feel for breathing.
• Call emergency services: Dial the appropriate emergency number.
• Start CPR: Perform chest compressions and rescue breaths.
  • Compress the lower half of the sternum (center of the chest), 5-6 cm deep, at a rate of 100-120 per minute.
  • Ensure full chest recoil.
  • Use a 30:2 ratio of compressions to rescue breaths.
  • Do not stop CPR unless help arrives or you are exhausted.

AED

• An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) recognizes the heart's electrical impulse.
• It delivers an electric shock that increases the chances of survival.
• The AED provides clear instructions for use.

Bleeding

• Direct pressure is the initial response to control bleeding.
• Apply pressure to the bleeding site using a clean cloth, tissue, gauze, or bandage.
• Maintain pressure until bleeding stops or help arrives.
• If the wound is on an arm or leg, raise the limb above the heart to slow bleeding.
• Direct pressure cannot be used for deep wounds or large blood vessel injuries, neck or torso wounds, crash injuries, amputations, or people with blood disorders (hemophilia, blood thinners).

Embedded Object

• Do not remove an embedded object, but apply pressure around it to control bleeding.
• If the object is protruding from the wound, use a bandage or gauze to control bleeding around it.
• Never attempt to remove glass, splinters, knife blades, etc. from a wound.

Tourniquets

• Use tourniquets for extreme, life-threatening bleeding.
• Apply pressure to the bleeding site, 2-3 inches above the wound, over a bone, not a joint.
• Tighten the tourniquet until bleeding stops.
• Cover the tourniquet with a clean dressing.
• Do not loosen the tourniquet or compression dressing without medical instructions.
• Check the tourniquet every 2 hours for swelling, muscle stiffness, new bleeding.
• Only remove or loosen the tourniquet when medical care arrives.
• Tourniquets may cause nerve and muscle damage, deep vein thrombosis, organ damage, limb ischemia, and loss of limb if:
  • Applied incorrectly
  • Applied for too long
  • The person has certain medical conditions (hypertension, sickle cell anemia, peripheral vascular disease).

Wound Packing

• Wash your hands with soap and remove any bandage.
• Clean the wound with saline and a sterile gauze.
• Use packing material (sterile gauze) to fill the wound.
• Use your fingers to push the packing material into the wound.
• Secure the packing with a bandage over the wound.

Pressure Points

• Pressure points are specific areas where pressure can be applied to control bleeding.
• Examples include:
  • Femoral area: Lower artery (groin)
  • Brachial: Upper arm (lower arm)
  • Radial: Wrist and hand (base of thumb)
  • Supraclavicular: Neck and head (above the clavicle)

Homeostatic Agents

• Substances that promote blood clotting and control bleeding.
• Topical hemostatic agents: Applied directly to the bleeding site.
• Systemic hemostatic agents: Taken orally or injected to promote clot formation throughout the body:
  • Thrombin: Protein that converts fibrinogen to fibrin.
  • Von Willebrand Factor Concentrate: Medication to replace missing factor in people with von Willebrand disease.
  • Desmopressin: Releases von Willebrand factor.
  • Tranexamic Acid: Prevents breakdown of clots.