Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

2 PREmergency Scene Management

Assess Breathing A patient’s ability to breathe is directly affected by the adequacy of their airway. Once you have made sure the airway is open, assess that the patient’s breathing consists of equal chest rise and fall. Assessment of breathing should be performed within five to ten seconds. See normal breathing rates in table If the patient is not breathing, or if the patient is breathing inadequately, then activate 911 and begin CPR, starting with compressions. (See Chapter 5 – Cardiovascular emergencies and CPR)

PREMERGENCY SCENE MANAGEMENT Scene Assessment

Primary Assessment Assess Responsiveness Assess Airway Assess Breathing

Age Adults and Adolescents Children Age 1-12 Infants

Normal Breaths/min 12 - 20 15 - 30 25 - 50

Assess Circulation Secondary Assessment Ongoing Care / Transport Hand-Off and Documentation

Activate 911 as soon as you determine a life threat.

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