ABCDs of First Aid - Airway, Breathing, Compression-and-Defibrillator
                     ABCDs of First Aid - Airway, Breathing, Compression-and-Defibrillator
One of the basic skills that every person should have is CPR and first aid training  
that can help someone in case of emergency. Imagine how beneficial it would be  
to know how to perform first aid or being aware of what is a CPR procedure  
when put in an emergency situation. While it is always best to enrol yourself in  
professional first aid training, this ABCD First Aid guide we have curated for you  
can help you get an understanding of what all
first aid entails.
Let’s begin with the basics:First aid is the initial treatment provided to somebody  
who is severely ill or wounded before the arrival of emergency medical services  
(EMS). An individual’s life can be saved in an emergency by providing first aid  
immediately. Attempting to learn basic first aid skills might help you deal with a  
medical emergency.
You might be capable of keeping someone breathing, relieving their discomfort,  
or reducing the severity of an accident or sudden sickness until an ambulance  
comes. For them, this might spell the difference between life and death.
The ABCs of first aidThe airway, breathing, and CPR (cardiopulmonary  
resuscitation) are the three components of the ABCs of first aid. You must,  
however, apply the DRSABCD Action Plan in any situation. What is the DRSABCD  
Action Plan? It is a combination of ABCD first aid plus a DRS responde guide.
DRSABCD is an abbreviation for –
 Danger: Always take into account the threat to yourself, any onlookers,  
and the wounded or unwell individual. When going to someone’s aid, be
sure you are not putting yourself at risk.
 Response: You must check if the person is in a conscious state or if they  
are responding to you by talking, touching their hands or squeezing their  
shoulder.
 Send for help: You can call 112—the emergency helpline number—and  
remember to answer each of the operator’s questions properly.
 Airway: You must check if the person is breathing or if their airway is  
clear. If the individual is responsive, awake, and their airways are clear, find  
out exactly how you will assist them with any injuries they may have.  
However, if the person is unconscious and not responding, you must check  
their airway. You can do this by opening their mouth and looking inside it  
to check for content. This is important because if the person’s airway is  
blocked, it can become difficult for them to breathe properly.
 Breathing: The oxygen needed for life is delivered to the body through  
breathing. This is why it is critical to assess whether or not the individual
is breathing. Follow these steps to determine if an individual is breathing  
properly:
1. You can look for up-and-down chest movements to check their breathing.
2. Put your ear closer to the mouth and ear and try listening to the sound of  
their breath.
3. You can try to feel their breath by placing your hand on the lower part of
their chest.
4. Turn the individual onto their side if they are unconscious but still  
breathing, while taking care to maintain the alignment of their head, neck,  
and spine.
5. Keep an eye on their breath until you pass them over to the ambulance  
officials.
 CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
* Here’s how you can perform the CPR procedure:
* Whenever an individual is unresponsive and just not breathing, put the heel of  
one hand in the middle of their chest while placing the other hand on top.
1. Apply pressure securely at least 30 times.
2. Lift their chin to gently tilt their head back and let the breath flow in.
3. Close their nostrils, position your open mouth over theirs wide open, and  
blow strongly into the individual’s mouth.
4. Continue with the 30 compressions and two breaths at a rate of around
five repetitions every two minutes until you hand over to the ambulance  
officials.
5. CPR procedure for kids under the age of eight and newborns is quite  
similar, and you may acquire these techniques in first aid CPR training.
* The letter “D” can mean a few different things:
Defibrillation: This stage entails employing an electrical current to restart a  
person’s heartbeat who is suffering from cardiac arrest. It is commonly  
performed with the use of a defibrillator first aid device known as an automated  
external defibrillator, or AED first aid and sometimes even CPR AED. This should  
only be carried out by a professional as CPR AED training is mandatory to use a  
defibrillator.