Basic Life Support: Choking, CPR, anaphylaxis, recovery position Flashcards
What is meant by choking?
Partial or complete obstruction of airway
What are the 3 signs of choking?
Red and puffy face
Patient looks distressed, for example is pointing to mouth or throat
Difficulty speaking, coughing or breathing
If you think that a patient is choking, what must you ask them before intervening and why?
Ask patient if they’re choking
Partial obstruction: Person can speak, breath or cough
Complete obstruction: Person makes no noise, can’t breath or cough
If a choking patient has a partial obstruction, do you manage choking immediately?
No, they might be able to cough out the obstruction
If a patient has a complete obstruction, do you manage choking immediately?
Yes, as coughing won’t remove obstruction
How do you encourage a patient to remove a partial obstruction when choking?
Encourage patient to cough and spit out anything that is in their mouth
If a patient can’t clear obstruction by coughing, how do you manage choking with 2 actions?
Back blows and abdominal thrusts
How do you initiate choking management when coughing fails to clear obstruction?
Position patient so that they are leaning forwards, so obstruction falls out instead of moving further down airway
Deliver 5 back blows with heel of hand and between patient’s shoulder blades
Whilst delivering back blows, what should you check?
After each back blow, look at patient and surrounding environment, also ask ‘is it out’ to check if obstruction has been removed before delivering another back blow
If the 5 initial back blows fail to remove obstruction, what action do you perform next?
Abdominal thrusts
How do you deliver abdominal thrusts after initial back blows fail to clear obstruction when choking?
Stand behind patient, make fist and position between patient’s umbilicus and bottom of ribcage. Put your other hand over your fist
Squeeze up and out
Do 5 abdominal thrusts in total, after each thrust look at patient and surrounding environment ask ‘is it out’ to check if obstruction has been removed
If obstruction doesn’t clear after initial 5 back blows then 5 abdominal thrusts, what do you do next?
Call 999 for emergency help immediately
Repeat cycle of 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until help arrives or patient becomes unresponsive
If you find a patient that is unresponsive and not breathing normally, what algorithm do you use to decide if you need to start CPR?
S: Safety by checking surrounding environment and if it is safe to approach
S: Stimulate by shouting at patient and shaking their shoulders, look for signs of response
S: Shout for help
A: Airway, open by putting one hand on patient’s forehead and two fingers with other hand under patient’s chin, then tilt patient head upwards
Breathing: Place your ear above their mouth to listen for breathing and look at patient’s chest for movement for 10 seconds. If not breathing call 999 and start CPR
C: Circulation, check after patient is breathing, look for bleeding, if so call 999
What are the 2 actions of CPR?
Chest compressions
Breaths
When performing CPR, what is the ratio of chest compressions to breaths?
30 compressions then 2 breaths
How do you deliver chest compressions in CPR?
Interlock your hands and place heel on 2-3 cm above xiphoid process
Push down with arms straight and lean over patient
Push 5-6 cm deep before releasing and allow chest to come back up before next compression
Rate 100-120 compressions per minute
If patient has an EpiPen, how do you administer it?
Remove blue safety cap by pulling straight up
Hold EpiPen in dominant hand with all fingers around it, hold 10 cm from outer/lateral thigh
Jab firmly into outer/lateral thigh at 90 degrees until you hear click, and leave in for 3 seconds before removing and safely discarding
