Knowledge=Love

Wednesday's results... on Thursday.

Which two are true and which one is not?

1. ABC stands for check "Airway, Breathing and Circulation". This mnemonic serves as a reminder of what to do when helping someone during a medical emergency.   TRUE

A is for airway. 

The airway is the passage that connects the mouth to the lungs. For air to enter the lungs, the airway must remain clear. If is becomes blocked, airflow into the lungs will stop. 

B is for breathing. 

The lungs perform the job of breathing. With each breath air travels through the airway into the lungs. This air contains oxygen which is transferred to blood cells in the lungs, and then carried to the rest of the body. If airflow into the lungs stops, no oxygen gets into the bloodstream.

C is for circulation. 

Circulation refers to the blood that is pumped by the heart first to the lungs and then to the rest of the body. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients the body needs. If the heart stops pumping, blood flow to the lungs and body stops and the body can not survive.

2. The A (in ABC's) also serves as a reminder to ALWAYS call 911 FIRST in every emergency.   FALSE

The A in ABC's simply stand for airway.. that's it.  

So why is "always call 911 first in every emergency" a false statement?

If you see an adult collapse to the ground and require CPR you can bet most times it's cardiac related (Arrhythmias) . Your response per the American Heart Association is to CALL FIRST. Call 911 to activate help- you should then begin giving CPR and not stop until medical help arrives, attaches the defibrillator  & continues giving care.  Of course if someone is with you, send them to call while you begin CPR. 

In children however, a child who collapses to the ground and requires CPR does so most likely not from an arrhythmia but from respiratory arrest.  Brain damage from lack of oxygen occurs in less than 4 minutes and death shortly thereafter, therefore the American Heart Association's recommendation for children in need of CPR is to CALL FAST. Give 2 minutes of CPR before calling 911. Of course if someone is with you, send them to call while you give CPR. 

The truth is a lot of people believe that if they call 911 that's enough... job over, no worries, the end. While it's part of your response to a medical emergency, that can't be the sum total of what you do. 

3. When assisting someone during a medical emergency, you should follow the order- first A, then B and finally C.   TRUE

Absolutely follow the order, if you stop and think about it, it doesn't make any sense not to. Check the airway, then breathing, then circulation. If the airway is blocked, you won't have breathing or circulation. If the airway is open but your baby isn't breathing it won't be long before his/her heart stops beating and sure enough, no circulation. So fix first things first... open airway, make sure he or she is breathing then worry about circulation. 

know more. worry less.