The ABC of first-aid, i.e., first-aid basics, refers to the priorities of emergency care. During any medical emergency, paramedics, nurses, or medical doctors always get to the ABC of first-aid before looking at wounds, burns, or other injuries.
Remembering the first-aid basics is also important for anyone who wants to stay prepared to help those around them during medical emergencies. If you want to know about the ABC of first-aid in detail, read on:
ABC – Airway, Breathing, & Circulation
Airway, Breathing, & Circulation/Compression, in that particular order, are the steps of performing CPR. CPR is a life-saving method involving chest compressions to manually induce a heartbeat in an unconscious body to keep them alive. Without CPR, a victim whose heartbeat has stopped for any reason experiences increased chances of death every second. But performing CPR without its need proves harmful.
The ABC method resolves this issue by making it quick and easy to identify the need to perform CPR on a victim. The ABC steps take less than ten seconds and ensure the victim receives the help they need as soon as possible.
A – Airway
Checking the Airway
The first step of first-aid basics involves checking the unconscious person’s airway. Check the airway by placing two fingers one inch from the unconscious person’s nostrils. If you feel little to no air coming out of the nostrils, or feel air coming out irregularly or infrequently, check for airway obstruction.
A blocked airway makes breathing difficult, making the victim unconscious. The tongue can also drop down into the mouth due to gravity, restricting the throat. Turn the victim on their back and lift their head with your hand. This will bring the tongue to the floor of the mouth, opening the airway to the lungs. You can learn more about this in fall protection training and first aid level 1 Vancouver.
Check the victim’s airway again by placing two fingers at a one-inch distance from their nostrils. If the breathing doesn’t become normal, it is a sign to perform CPR.
Airway Management for CPR
For airway management as part of CPR, rescue breathing is used. But rescue breathing by mouth only provides 17% of the required oxygen per breath. However, it can keep an unconscious person alive. Don’t provide air too quickly or focus on it alone, as it is only part of the process.
Performing rescue breathing too urgently can result in incomplete breathing out by the victim, making it difficult for their body to release the air containing carbon dioxide. As blood cells cannot take up oxygen if they do not release carbon dioxide, breathing too quickly into the patient’s mouth causes more harm than good.
B – Breathing
Checking for Breathing
Checking the airway is an efficient way to identify the need for CPR. However, it may be challenging in certain weather conditions. In such cases, the alternative method to identify the need for CPR, i.e., first-aid basics, is checking the unconscious person’s breathing.
You can check for breathing by laying the victim facing upward. Lower your head and observe from the side to check the rising and falling of your chest and stomach. You can also bring your head near the person’s mouth and nose to listen to or feel their breath on your cheek.
Other methods of checking for breathing include checking the pulse on the wrist or neck and placing a hand on the victim’s chest to feel their heartbeat. Learn more methods for checking and ensuring the breathing of a person who has collapsed in OFA 1 training, OFA 2 training, and confined space training.
How to Perform Rescue Breathing
Performing mouth-to-mouth ventilation or rescue breathing to a victim who isn’t breathing at all or normally is essential to prevent lasting consequences to their health. The normal breathing rate for healthy adults ranges between 12 and 20. But while performing rescue breathing, unconscious adults must only be provided 10-12 breaths and unconscious children 12-20 breaths. Administer each breath for only one second.
To perform rescue breathing on adults, pinch their nose between a thumb and forefinger and breathe into their mouth. On the other hand, simply cover the mouth and nose of children with your mouth to perform rescue breathing.
C – Circulation/Compression
Ensuring Circulation of Blood
Ensuring the rise and fall of the chest during rescue breathing allows you to know if it is effective. Lack of rising and falling of the chest means the heart is not beating. Thus, clearing the airway and helping the patient breathe is no longer enough, and you are required to ensure circulation through chest compressions.
Place two fingers on the lump of the windpipe or Adam’s apple to check circulation, i.e., heartbeat. If no heartbeat is found, start chest compressions immediately to restart the heart. You can also perform chest compressions if the heartbeat feels slow or fading.
How to Perform Chest Compressions
Remembering the following steps is vital to effectively provide first-aid basics and perform chest compressions:
- Call 911 or ask someone else nearby to do so.
- Ensure that it is safe for you to help the unconscious person. Do not put your life in danger to save someone else’s.
- If it is safe for you to help the person, get down on your knees by their side.
- Lock the fingers of one of your hands with the other. Place your hands on the person’s chest between the ribs and breastbone.
- Bend over the unconscious body with your shoulders directly above your locked hands and elbows straightened.
- Push down on the unconscious body with your locked hands up to 2 inches.
- Release pressure to allow the body to rise.
- Apply compressions repeatedly at the rate of 100 per minute. Keep doing so until the heartbeat is resumed or paramedics/professional help arrives.
- If the heartbeat is not resumed, pause performing compressions and give two rescue breaths to the victim. Resume chest compressions immediately after the rescue breaths.
Get Trained to Save Lives Effectively
There’s only so much you can learn from reading a blog. However, training in CPR with Metro Safety will ensure you provide the first-aid basics effectively whenever needed.
At Metro Safety, we provide various emergency care training, such as confined space training BC, fall arrest training BC, and OFA 1 training. We also offer several CPR courses with standard first-aid, emergency first-aid, advanced CPR training, and CPR recertification. Call 604-521-4227 or click here to learn a life-saving skill today.
