CARE
Provide care for the life threatening emergencies FIRST
A= Airway
B= Breathing
C= Circulation (heart beat and bleeding)
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES (9 steps) for adult and child, 8 steps for infant
PRIMARY SURVEY: A B C'S = 9 steps (for an unconscious adult/child)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
DETERMINE CONSCIOUSNESS
YELL FOR HELP & HAVE THAT PERSON CALL 911
CHECK FOR SPINAL CORD INJURIES
OPEN THE AIRWAY
STOP / LOOK / LISTEN / FEEL FOR 3-5 SECONDS FOR BREATHING
Adult not breathing, go immediately to CPR after step 5 and call 911 after 2
minutes of CPR, if alone
7. GIVE 2 FULL BREATHS (IF NOT BREATHING) for child only
8. CHECK FOR CIRCULATION FOR 5-10 SECONDS for child
9. CHECK FOR SEVERE BLEEDING for child
10. PROVIDE CARE (do what they are not doing for themselves) AND IF ALONE
CALL 911 (if you can get to the phone and back in about 2 minutes or less)
Child: Number of Breaths 1 breath / 3 seconds
Cycles per Minute = 20
INFANT RESCUE BREATHING: BIRTH – 1 YEAR
Primary survey for infant: procedure: how to do the 8 steps
1. Tap on foot and determine if conscious or not
2. Yell for help and have that person call 911
3. Open airway by placing the chin straight up and down (too far back or forward will cause
the trachea to close up) (example: straw)
4. Place your head close to theirs and look at the chest, listen and feel to see if they are
breathing
5. If not breathing, cover your mouth over their mouth and nose and give 2 puffs to inflate their
lungs.
6. Check for circulation for 5-10 seconds. Check their pulse at the brachial artery (upper arm
by armpit)
7. Scan for bleeding
8. Provide care by breathing for them if they are not breathing: One puff every 3 seconds.
Take the baby to the phone while rescue breathing and call 911 if alone
Number of Breaths 1 breath/3 seconds
Breathing Sequence and Counting
1-1000, 2-1000, 3 Breathe (Puff)
Cycles per Minute = 20
Summary of ABC Procedures for First Aid
Rescue Breaths:
Adult: start CPR
Child: (ages 1-12) 1 breath every 3 seconds
Infant: 1 puff every 3 seconds
Heimlich (Choking) Conscious
Adult/Child: 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts (with 2
hands) pushing in and up until the object comes out or they pass out.
Pregnant/Obese: wrap arms around upper chest with fist on
sternum. Do 5 chest compressions and 5 back blows until the
object comes out or they pass out.
Alone: chair, table edge, self thrusts, 911, etc
Heimlich (Choking) Unconscious Adult/Child
Start with the 9 steps anytime you don’t know what is wrong and
they are unconscious. When you try to give 2 breaths and it won’t
go in, think it is your fault and reposition head. When air still won’t
go in insert these 4 steps:
1. Open mouth
2. see it, scoop it
3. 2 hard breaths
4. 30 chest compressions with 2 hands on sternum for adult
and/or 1 hand for child
5. Repeat until help arrives or the object is out then finish
the 9 steps and provide care for what they aren’t doing
for themselves (not breathing, CPR for adult, 1 breath
every 3 seconds for child)
Infant Choking
Infant conscious: Place baby face down on your arm, arm on
leg/knee, hit between shoulder blades 5 times. Turn over and
place baby face up, holding them on your other knee. Push 5 times
between nipples on sternum with 2 fingers. Repeat until the object
comes out/they are breathing on their own or they pass out.
Infant Unconscious:
If you don’t know they are choking, start the 8 steps ABC check for
unconscious infant. When you can’t get air in, reposition head
and try to give 2 more breaths. When the air still won’t go in, you
can assume they are choking. Insert the following steps to open the
airway:
1. open mouth
2. see it, scoop it
3. 2 hard puffs
4. 30 chest compressions with 2 fingers between nipples
5. Repeat 1-4 until object comes out then finish the 8 step check to
see if they are breathing on their own and if they have a pulse.
If they have a pulse, 1 puff every 3 seconds; no pulse go to CPR
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: CPR
When there is no circulation (pulse) & breathing
Adult:
• 30 compressions with 2 hands on sternum
• 2 hard breaths to inflate lungs
Child:
• 30 chest compressions on sternum with one hand
• 2 breaths
Infant:
• 30 chest compressions with 2 fingers
• 2 hard puffs