Basic Life Support
Basic life support is the maintenance of an airway and the support of breathing and the circulation without using equipment other than a simple airway device or protective shield. A combination of expired air ventilation (rescue breathing) and chest compression is known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) , which forms the basis of modern basic life support . The term " cardiac arrest " implies a sudden interruption of cardiac output, which may be reversible with appropriate treatment. It does not include the cessation of heart activity as a terminal event in serious illness; in these circumstances the techniques of basic life support are usually inappropriate. Survival after cardiac arrest is most likely to be the outcome in the following circumstances: when the event is witnessed; when a bystander summons help from the emergency services and starts resuscitation; when the heart arrests in ventricular fibrillation; and when defibrillation and advanced life support are in...