Action Plan

Danger
Response
Send for help
Airway
Breathing
CPR
Defibrillation
Danger Check for dangers to:
Yourself
Bystanders
Casualty Walk 360 degree around the casualty
Use all 6 senses
Smell
Sight
Taste
Touch
Listen
Common Sense
Response Is the casualty responsive?
Can you hear me?
O pen your eyes
What is your name?
Squeeze my hands and let go
If the casualty is not responsive, and fluid is suspected in the airway, roll the casualty into recovery
position.
Send for Help Dial 000
Be prepared to give the following information
o People, Problem, Position, Progress, Phone number
Airway Open the airway
Tilt the casualtys head back to remove tongue from the airway Clear the airway
Check to see the airway is free from Obstructions
In an unconscious victim, care of the airway takes precedence over ANY injury
Breathing Normal Breathing?
Check for signs of life
consciousness, responsiveness, movement and normal breathing
Look, Listen, Feel
Look - for rise and fall of the chest
Listen - for breathing noises
Feel - for rise and fall of chest AND for breath on cheek

CPR is the technique of rescue breathing combined with chest compressions

The purpose of CPR is to temporarily maintain a circulation sufficient to preserve brain function until
specialised treatment is available
CPR should be continued until:
Signs of life return
Qualified help arrives and takes over
It is impossible to continue
Danger returns
30 compressions : 2 breaths

5 cycles in 2 minutes

Thirty & Two Thats All You Do

RESCUE BREATHING
Mouth to mouth
o Used when no pocket mask is available
Mouth to mask
o Should always be used by First Aiders
o Minimises transfer of communicable diseases
o Provides mouth to mouth & nose resuscitation
Mouth to nose
o Can be administered in deep water
o Mouth to mouth and nose
o Used to resuscitate infants
Mouth to mouth and nose
o Breath is applied to both the mouth and nose
o Done to infants

Head Tilt

ADULTS

CHILDREN

INFANTS

Full

Full

Neutral

Breath Size

Rise and fall of the chest

Compression Depth

1/3 depth of the chest

Compression Point

Visual Centre of the chest

Compression Method

2 Hands

1 or 2 Hands

2 fingers

DRSABC - infant
Danger
The assessment for danger remains the same
Response
Make loud noises such as clapping
Blow air in the infants face
Run fingers along the arches of the feet
Place finger inside of hands
Send for Help
Call 000
Airway
Both mouth and nose should be cleared
o Nose can be cleared using the milking technique
Open airway is achieved with head in neutral position
Breathing Normal Breathing
Look, listen and feel
o Check for signs of life
CPR
30 compressions followed by 2 breaths Mouth-to-mouth-and-nose rescue breathing
2 fingers on lower half of the sternum

Left Lateral Tilt

When a heavily pregnant women is lying on her back, the foetus can compress a major blood
vessel of the mother (inferior vena cava).
This can be minimized by providing sufficient padding under her right buttock, to provide an
obvious pelvic tilt to the left whilst leaving the shoulders flat on the floor.
Mothers are always right, padding the right buttock

VOMIT
A voluntary response
Abdominal muscular contraction occurs
Removal is often forceful and projectile
Often appears chunky
A good sign something is working
REGURGITATION
An involuntary response
The stomach distends
The contents ooze out
Often appears frothy
A bad sign often caused by:
Over inflation
Insufficient head tilt
Not allowing enough time between breaths
If the casualty vomits or regurgitates during resuscitation they should immediately be rolled onto
their side and airway cleared. If no signs of life are present, rescuer should continue with rescue
breathing and compressions.
If regurgitation is suspected you may be required to adjust:
Head tilt
Breath size
Breath frequency

Choking can be present in a conscious or unconscious casualty

Varied severity
Some typical causes:
o Relaxation of the airway muscles
Due to unconsciousness
o Inhaled foreign body
o Trauma to the airway
o Anaphylactic reaction
May be gradual or sudden onset
Some of the signs in a conscious casualty:
Anxiety, agitation, gasping sounds, coughing, loss of voice, clutching at neck with thumb and
fingers
MILD OBSTRUCTION
Breathing is labored
Breathing may be noisy
Some escape of air can be felt from the mouth
SEVERE OBSTRUCTION
There may be efforts at breathing
There is no sound of breathing
There is no escape of air from nose &/or mouth
The simplest way to determine the severity of a foreign body airway obstruction is to assess for
ineffective or effective cough
Effective cough (Mild Airway Obstruction)
Give reassurance
Encourage to keep coughing
If obstruction is not relieved, rescuer should CALL 000
Ineffective cough (Severe Airway Obstruction)
Conscious victim:
CALL 000
Perform up to 5 sharp back blows
Heel of hand between shoulder blades
Check for removal of obstruction between each back blow
If back blows arent successful, perform up to 5 chest thrusts
Use CPR compression point
Similar to CPR compressions but sharper and delivered at a slower rate
Check for removal of obstruction between each chest thrust
Continue to alternate between back blows and chest thrusts if obstruction is not relieved
Ineffective cough (Severe Airway Obstruction)

Unconscious victim:
CALL 000
If solid material is visible in the airway sweep it out using your fingers
Commence CPR

Management of Choking (severe airway obstruction)

Management:
Encourage the casualty to cough
(coughing ineffective)
Call for medical assistance
Position casualty appropriately for performing back blows
Perform back blows with appropriate force
(back blows ineffective)
Position casualty on back and perform chest thrusts
(casualty is unconscious)
Begin CPR