CPR and Airway Emergencies
Course Objectives
- Recognize cardiac arrest and airway emergencies requiring immediate intervention.
- Demonstrate the principles of high-quality CPR and AED use for adult, pediatric, and infant patients.
- Apply appropriate emergency response actions, communication strategies, and post-resuscitation considerations in healthcare settings.
Course Content
Key Terms:
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- Agonal Breathing
- Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC)
- Airway Obstruction
- Defibrillation
- Perfusion
- Respiratory Failure
- Choking
Outline:
Introduction
- Course objectives
- Importance of rapid recognition and response
CPR Fundamentals
- What CPR is and what it is not
- Why CPR works
- Maintaining circulation and oxygen delivery
Scene Safety and Initial Response
- Scene safety assessment
- Chain of Survival
- Activating emergency response systems
Recognizing Cardiac Arrest
- Adult cardiac arrest recognition
- Agonal breathing
- Common recognition challenges
- Differentiating:
- Syncope vs cardiac arrest
- Seizure vs cardiac arrest
- Overdose vs cardiac arrest
High-Quality CPR
- CAB sequence
- Compression technique
- Compression depth, rate, and recoil
- Ventilation during CPR
- Avoiding over-ventilation
- Advanced airway ventilation
Common CPR Quality Problems
- Shallow compressions
- Excessively fast compressions
- Leaning between compressions
- Frequent interruptions
- Knowledge Application: CPR interruptions scenario
AED Use and Cardiac Rhythms
- AED basics
- Shockable rhythms
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Non-shockable rhythms
- PEA
- Asystole
- Why early defibrillation matters
- AED operation and safety considerations
- When to pause CPR
Special CPR Considerations
- CPR during pregnancy
- Patients with pacemakers and ICDs
- Traumatic vs medical cardiac arrest
- DNR considerations
Pediatric CPR
- Pediatric cardiac arrest recognition
- Compression and ventilation techniques
- AED use in children
- Key differences from adult CPR
Infant CPR
- Infant compression technique
- Infant ventilation considerations
- AED use in infants
Common Pediatric and Infant CPR Errors
- Excessive ventilation
- Excessive head tilt
- Incorrect compression depth
- Hesitation to begin CPR
- Other pediatric resuscitation pitfalls
Airway Emergencies and Choking
- Recognizing airway obstruction
- Adult choking response
- Pediatric choking response
- Infant choking response
- Foreign body airway obstruction management
Post-Resuscitation and Team Response
- Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
- Ongoing monitoring
- Team coordination after an event
Key Takeaways
- Rapid recognition
- Immediate CPR initiation
- High-quality compressions
- Appropriate AED use
- Age-specific considerations
- Effective emergency response teamwork
References:
- American Heart Association. (2020). 2020 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation, 142(16_suppl_2), S337–S357. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000918
- What is CPR? (n.d.). American Heart Association CPR & First Aid Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/what-is-cpr
- Vahedian-Azimi, A., Hassan, et. al. (2024). What factors are effective on the CPR duration of patients under extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a single-center retrospective study. International journal of emergency medicine, 17(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00608-2
- American Heart Association. (2020). Basic Life Support Provider Manual. American Heart Association.
- Topjian, A. A. Et. Al. & American Heart Association. (2020). Part 4: Pediatric Basic and Advanced Life Support: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation, 142(16_suppl_2), S469–S523. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000901
- American Red Cross. (2021). Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Participant's Manual. American Red Cross.
