Editing Basic life support (section)

== Technique ==

=== United States ===
Basic Life Support Emergency Medical Services in the United States are generally identified with Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic (EMT-B). EMT-B is the highest level of healthcare provider that is limited to the BLS protocol; higher medical functions use some or all of the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols, in addition to BLS protocols. However, the [[American Heart Association]]'s BLS protocol is designed for use by laypeople, as well as students and others [[certified first responder]], and to some extent, higher medical function personnel.

'''BLS for Healthcare Providers Course'''

According to the American Heart Association, in order to be certified in BLS, a student must take an online or in-person course. However, an online BLS course must be followed with an in-person skills session in order to obtain a certification issued by The American Heart Association.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://savingchicagocpr.com/Chicago/bls-for-healthcare-providers/|title=HUT RI 73th|website=savingchicagocpr.com|access-date=2018-10-28|archive-date=2013-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214214053/http://savingchicagocpr.com/Chicago/bls-for-healthcare-providers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

'''Chain of survival'''

The American Heart Association highlights the most important steps of BLS in a "five-link chain of survival."<ref>{{cite web | title = What is CPR? | publisher = American Heart Association | url = https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/what-is-cpr}}</ref> The chain of survival includes early recognition of an ongoing emergency, early initiation of CPR by a bystander, early use of a defibrillator, and early advanced life support once more qualified medical help arrives. Qualified bystanders with training in BLS are encouraged to perform the first three steps of the five-link chain of survival.

'''High Quality CPR'''
{{See also|Cardiopulmonary resuscitation#Methods}}
High quality [[cardiopulmonary resuscitation]] (CPR) and early defibrillation using an [[automated external defibrillator]] (AED) are the most important aspects of BLS to ensure a patient survives. CPR involves a rescuer or bystander providing chest compressions to a patient in a [[supine position]] while also giving rescue breaths. The rescuer or bystander  can also choose not to provide breaths and provide compression-only CPR. Depending on the age and circumstances of the patient, there can be variations in the compression to breath ratio given.

=== Europe ===

'''European Resuscitation Council'''

According to 2015 guidelines published by [[European resuscitation council]], early initiation of resuscitation and coordination of lay people with medical personnel on helping an unconscious person is very helpful in increasing the chance of survival of the patient. When a person is unconscious and is not breathing normally, emergency services should be alerted and [[cardiopulmonary resuscitation]] (CPR) and [[mouth-to-mouth resuscitation]] (rescue breaths) should be initiated. High quality CPR is important. An adequate ratio of high quality chest compressions and rescue breaths are crucial. An [[automated external defibrillator]] (AED) machine is essential during resuscitation. [[Defibrillation]] during the first 3 to 5 minutes during resuscitation can produce survival rates as high as 50 to 70%. Placing AEDs in public places where there is one cardiac arrest in five years is cost-effective.<ref name="ERC 2015">{{cite journal |last1=Gavin D |first1=Perkins |last2=Anthony J |first2=Handley |last3=Rudolph W |first3=Koster |title=European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2015Section 2. Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation |journal=Resuscitation |date=2015 |volume=95 |pages=81–99 |doi=10.1016/j.resuscitation.2015.07.015 |pmid=26477420|doi-access=free |hdl=10067/1302990151162165141 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
Although the adult CPR sequence can be safely used in children, a modified sequence of basic life support that entails less forceful chest compression is even more suitable in children.

'''United Kingdom'''

Adult BLS guidelines in the [[United Kingdom]] were published in 2015 by the Resuscitation Council (UK),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.resus.org.uk/resuscitation-guidelines/adult-basic-life-support-and-automated-external-defibrillation/|title=British Resuscitation Council Basic Life Support Guidelines|website=Resuscitation Council UK}}</ref> based on the ''2015 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR)'' published in November 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phecit.ie//Images/PHECC/Clinical%20resources/ILCOR%202015/ILCOR%20Guidelines%202015%20for%20web.pdf|title=ILCOR Documents|website=erc.edu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114104711/http://www.phecit.ie/Images/PHECC/Clinical%20resources/ILCOR%202015/ILCOR%20Guidelines%202015%20for%20web.pdf|archive-date=2017-11-14|access-date=2019-10-09}}</ref>
The newest guidelines for adult BLS allow a rescuer to diagnose cardiac arrest if the patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally. The guidelines also changed the duration of rescue breaths and the placement of the hand on the chest when performing chest compressions. These changes were introduced to simplify the [[Medical algorithm|algorithm]], to allow for faster decision making and to maximize the time spent giving chest compressions; this is because interruptions in chest compressions have been shown to reduce the chance of survival.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Eftestøl T, Sunde K, Steen PA |title=Effects of interrupting precordial compressions on the calculated probability of defibrillation success during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest |journal=Circulation |volume=105 |issue=19 |pages=2270–3 |date=May 2002 |pmid=12010909 |url=http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=12010909 |doi=10.1161/01.cir.0000016362.42586.fe|s2cid=1092371 |doi-access= |url-access=subscription }}</ref> It is also acknowledged that rescuers may either be unable, or unwilling, to give effective rescue breaths; in this situation, continuing chest compressions alone is advised, although this is only effective for about 5 minutes.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Hallstrom A, Cobb L, Johnson E, Copass M |title=Cardiopulmonary resuscitation by chest compression alone or with mouth-to-mouth ventilation |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=342 |issue=21 |pages=1546–53 |date=May 2000 |pmid=10824072 |doi=10.1056/NEJM200005253422101 |citeseerx=10.1.1.456.8789 }}</ref>
For choking, the guidelines in the United Kingdom first call for assessing the severity of the situation. If the patient is able to speak and cough effectively, the obstruction is mild. If the patient is unable to speak or cough effectively, or is unable to breathe or is breathing with a wheezy sound, the airway obstruction is severe. It is then recommended to perform back blows until the obstruction clears. If the patient becomes unresponsive, CPR is started.

=== Other countries ===
The term BLS is also used in some non-English speaking countries (e.g. in [[Italy]]<ref>[http://www.vfv.it/tecnica/capitolo_4.pdf Nozioni primo soccorso BLS] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051028183115/http://www.vfv.it/tecnica/capitolo_4.pdf |date=October 28, 2005 }} ([[Italian language|Italian]]), [[portable document format|PDF]] document (12p, 912 Kb)</ref>) for the education of [[first responder]]s. Terms with similar meanings for similar skill sets are also common.
* Spain: SVB ([[:es:soporte vital básico|''soporte vital básico'']])
* Belgium: ''aide médicale urgente'' ("emergency medical assistance")/ EHBO (''eerste hulp bij ongelukken'', "first aid")
* Brazil: SBV (''Suporte básico de vida'')
* France: PSE 1 & PSE 2 (''Premiers Secours en Equipe niveaux 1 & 2''), "First Aid as part of a team", level 2 includes stretchering and teamwork, (former CFAPSE before 2007 ''Certificat de Formation aux Activités des Premiers Secours en Equipe'', "Training certificate for first aid teamwork")
* Poland: ''Podstawowe zabiegi resuscytacyjne''/ KPP (''Kwalifikowana pierwsza pomoc'')
* Portugal: SBV (''Suporte Básico de Vida'')
* Germany: ''Lebensrettende Sofortmaßnahmen'' (basic life support)
* Romania: SVB (''support vital de bază'')
* Netherlands: BLS ("first aid" is referred to as EHBO (''Eerste hulp bij ongelukken''))
* Turkey: TYD (''temel yaşam desteği'', "basic life support")