Responding in the event of a cardiopulmonary arrest

A cardiopulmonary arrest, that is, a situation where the client is pulseless and not breathing, requires an urgent and well-trained response. It is therefore essential that all health care personnel receive initial training in basic life support (BLS) and attend regular updates, at least annually, to maintain their skills.

Basic life support involves an initial assessment followed by airway maintenance, rescue breathing and chest compressions, the word ‘basic’ suggesting that no equipment is used. Where a simple airway or facemask for mouth-to-mouth ventilation is used, this is termed ‘basic life support with airway adjunct’. The purpose of BLS is to maintain adequate ventilation and circulation until such time as the primary cause of the cardiac arrest can be addressed and, where possible, corrected. It is important to remember that failure of circulation to the brain for 3–4 minutes (less if the client is already hypoxaemic) will lead to irreversible brain damage.
Immediate recognition and commencement of BLS is therefore crucial, as any delay will lessen the client’s chance of recovery.

The three elements of basic life support after initial assessment are commonly remembered as ‘ABC’: Airway, Breathing and Circulation.

The following procedures have been developed from the Resuscitation Council UK (2000) Basic Life Support Resuscitation Guidelines with the kind permission of the Vice-Chairman of the Council.