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Basic Life Support Instruments

Basic life support is used in emergency situations where rescue breathing alone or in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can restore oxygen circulation to a victim of an injury or health-related trauma. Basic life support instruments such as an oxygen mask, automated external defibrillator and mouth shield maximize the victim's chance of survival.

  1. Oxygen Mask

    • First responders come equipped with oxygen.

      Victims with emergency medical conditions such as severe influenza or broken ribs may suffer breathing problems. Paramedics often administer oxygen with an oxygen mask to relieve pulmonary distress and restore red blood cell function. Paramedics deliver oxygen in liters per minute, adjusting the dosage depending on the patient's condition.

    Automated External Defibrillator

    • This device, called AED for short, is used when a person's heart goes into what is called ventricular fibrillation. If not corrected, this is a fatally abnormal heart rhythm. It is a primary cause of sudden cardiac emergencies. The AED is a small, computerized device with easy-to-follow voice prompts to instruct the user on how to shock the victim's heart back into a functional rhythm. The electrical shock, called defibrillation, is the only effective treatment for ventricular fibrillation

    Mouth-to-Mouth Shield

    • According to studies by the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center, an overwhelming number of people do not attempt bystander CPR on unconscious victims because they do not want to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. A CPR one-way valve mouth shield or face shield allows users to perform rescue breathing without the fear of coming into contact with bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B.

    Blood Pressure Cuff

    • Blood pressure monitoring can reveal life-saving information.

      A blood pressure cuff allows paramedics to assess the health of heart attack and stroke victims and also determine how much blood a trauma patient has lost.

    Laryngoscope

    • In patients with obstructed airways, paramedics insert a breathing tube with the aid of a viewing instrument called a laryngoscope. The laryngoscope guides the tube into the patient's trachea to keep oxygen flowing to vital body organs while the victim is in transport to a medical center.

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