Chapter 1

Emergency Cardiac Care and the Health Care Provider

1

Health Care Providers as Rescuers

1

Preparing for Emergencies

3

Disease Transmission and Precautions

3

Cardiovascular Disease: Improving the Odds

4

The Chain of Survival

5

Legal and Ethical Considerations

8

Chapter 2

Understanding the Human Body

12

Body Systems

12

When Body Systems Fall

16

Chapter 3

Patient Assessment

23

Assessing the Emergency Scene

23

Assessing the Patient

24

Chapter 4

Basic Life Support for Adults and Children

27

Patient Assessment

27

Opening the Airway and Providing

28

Rescue Breathing Performing CPR

31

Airway Obstruction

33

Chapter 5

Basic Life Support for Infants

39

Assessment of an Infant

39

Opening the Airway and Providing

41

Rescue Breathing CPR for Infants

41

Airway Obstruction

42

Chapter 6

Resuscitation Adjuncts

47

Resuscitation Adjuncts

47

Suction Units

47

Simple Airway Adjuncts

49

Ventilation Devices

51

Circulatory Assist Devices

56

Automated External Defibrillation

57

Chapter 7

Special Resuscitation Situations

64

Trauma

64

Drowning

65

Hypothermia

66

Electric Shock

67

Appendix

69

Index

79

Photo Credits

83