CODE BLUE

Dont panic !

The first thing to do is CHECK FOR RESPONSIVENESS. "Are you Ok?"

He is not responding.

At this point, CALL FOR HELP BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!

Now perform a headtilt and chin lift. (If you dont know how that is done, check the CPR pages)

Check if he is breathing, listen with your ear close to his nose

If he is not breathing , give him two breaths, and then check the pulse.

If there is no pulse, start CPR. Rememeber, 30 chest compressions, then 2 breaths.

Be sure to use a barrier device when giving breaths. If you dont have a barrier device, just give chest compressions continuously at the rate of 100 per minute.

If there is a pulse, but he is not breathing, start rescue breathing ,giving one breath every 5-6 seconds.

Meanwhile, by now, a defibrillator-monitor should have been hooked up. Now the rest of the story depends on what shows up on the monitor.

While you are giving CPR the rest of the team should be getting a few other things taken care of:

• Start an IV
• Connect a pulse oximeter
• Hook up a 3 lead EKG
• Connect a NIBP (non-invasive blood pressure monitor)
• Draw venous blood, send it off for electrolytes and glucose levels
• Draw arterial blood send it off for ABGs

Just a reminder, there are some circumstances in which you will perform CPR before calling for help. This is done when the patient has had a hypoxic respiratory arrest, such as due to drowning, injury or drug overdose.