Basic Life Support
(BLS)
Description
Basic Life Support (BLS): This is where saving lives begins. Every second is critical when a person collapses suddenly, is not breathing, or has no pulse. In such situations, the difference between life and death lies in what one knows to do before help arrives. This, therefore, is referred to as Basic Life Support – the ‘basic’ being defined as the most primary means of sustaining life, and ‘support’ meaning support or assistance. If anybody is in an emergency, BLS is given first.
Not only doctors and nurses should learn BLS but everyone should. Acquiring BLS may mean the difference in someone’s life during an emergency, whether you are a student, office worker, teacher, or parent.
What is Basic Life Support (BLS)?
Basic Life Support (BLS) is the first medical help given to someone who has had a heart attack, trouble breathing, or any other life-threatening problem. These are the steps for:
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Compresses the chest
- Breathes into the person for a second
- Uses an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- Unblocks airways
you continue to perform BLS until more advanced medical help, such as an ambulance, is available to get air to the brain and other organs.
What Is the Right Age for Learning BLS?
There is no age limit for learning BLS. The people who are most likely to want to learn BLS are:
- Doctors, nurses, EMTs
- Members of police and fire departments
- ‘Schools and colleges’
- Gym trainers, coaches for different sports
- ‘Security personnel’
- General public
“Now, you don’t have to be a doctor to learn or perform BLS, however the most important thing is to do it quickly and properly in an emergency.”
Why BLS Important--
- Life saving: Within just couple of minutes after a heart attack, immediate BLS can double or even triple the chances of survival.
It bridges the gap: The BLS keeps the individual alive until definitive medical care arrives.
Minimizes Brain Damage: Brain damage may start within 4-6 minutes after a heart attack. The BLS helps to maintain perfusion of blood and oxygen to the brain.
Easy to Learn, Vital to Know: It takes only hours to learn BLS skills, but they can work for you for your lifetime.
The last and clear-cut parts of BLS: Look for a Response and Call for Help
- Try hitting and yelling at the person to see if they respond.
- Call for help right away if there is no answer.
Feel the pulse and breathing
Look, listen, and feel for 5 to 10 seconds to see if adults are breathing normally. For babies, check the brachial artery pulse.
Start doing CPR
No time must be lost in feeling for a pulse.
- Push hard and fast in the center of the chest (100–120 compressions per minute).
- After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths by tilting the head back and lifting the chin.
Use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
Follow voice prompts after turning the device on. If indicated, the AED will analyze and deliver a shock to the heart.
Keep the Cycle Running
Continue compressions and breaths until the victim recovers or until the rescuers take over.
BLS for Different Age Groups
- Adults (after puberty): Compressions – Using both hands for two-thumb technique heart; using one hand in children over 8 years of age
- For a child 1 year to puberty, use one or two hands, depending on size
- Two-finger chest compressions and ventilation should be delivered gently to infants below one year of age.
Use of BLS Often Occurs in:
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest
- Drowning
- Choking
- Drug overdose
- Electric shock
- Unconsciousness from injury or illness
It sustains life in all these conditions until the arrival of an ambulance or doctor.
How to Get BLS Certified:
Various organizations, for example, provide instruction in BLS.
- AHA (American Heart Association)
- Red Cross
Videos, mannequin practice, and a test. And a BLS card that you get at the end is good for one to two years, depending on the group.
How to do BLS:
Be calm, and act fast. If a person is not breathing normally or responding: do not waste time. Make sure the scene is safe before you give help.
Let the person wake up well-rested, if the pros take over, do not interrupt for CPR.
It’s recommended that refresher courses be taken to keep your BLS knowledge up-to-date.
Basic Life Support is a very important skill because you might end up saving a life anytime and anywhere. If one knows how to give BLS, he or she will not be completely helpless during the crisis that may be caused to someone related, a colleague at work, or any other person. You could end up being somebody’s hero by investing just a few hours in training.
BLS is not just knowing how to do medical stuff but being prepared, keeping your cool, and making a difference when it matters.