First Aid Tips

...heart disease accounts for 36% of all deaths in Ireland...

First Aid Tips - ABC

This is one of the principle checks in First Aid, and stands for:

A : Airway - The passage from the nose and throat to the lungs, which allows air containing oxygen to enter the body during normal Respiration or Artificial Ventilation. The main causes of an obstructed airway are:

Conscious: Food or other Foreign Body
Unconscious: Tongue or Epiglottis

B : Breathing - The casualty needs to be breathing for themselves, or assisted in breathing, in order to maintain oxygen in the body, particularly to the brain. The body and brain in particular can normally only survive without oxygen for a few short minutes before permanent damage or death will result.

C : Circulation - This is when the Heart is pumping blood throughout the body at a sufficient rate to allow for the exchange of gases ( Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide ). The signs of Circulation include Pulse, Coughing, Breathing or any Movement.

Any casualty who does not have A.B.C are in serious difficulty
and require immediate attention

All information on this site is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your doctor. First Aid Training Service is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by the user of this website.

First Aid Training Service
55 Dun Na Mara
Renmore
Galway.
Tel: +353 (0)91 738228
Martin: 087-2611574
Sean: 086-8506510
email: info@firstaid.ie