DRSABCD of First Aid
What does DRSABCD mean in First Aid and CPR Courses?
DRSABCD is an acronym described as an Emergency action plan for first aiders or first responders to an emergency.
So what does DRS ABCD stand for?
Danger (Check for danger to yourself patient and others patient)
Response (to check the patients response to see if a patient is conscious or unconscious)
Send for help (call 000 if needed)
Airway (check and clear obstructions to the airway)
Breathing (check if patient is breathing normally or not)
CPR (commence CPR if necessary)
Defibrillation ( If CPR is needed than an AED is needed)
Practical ways to apply the DRSABC action plan and what to do until the ambulance arrives are part of our First aid and CPR courses risk factors of heart attack, click on this link
If it’s a heart attack it’s dirty plumbing, if it’s a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) it’s an electrical problem?
Yes, your heart beats/pumps blood through your body because it is told to squeeze by electrical currents that travel through your heart. These electrical currents have a specific pathway and pattern. When something goes wrong with this electrical pathway/current it can make your heart beat in a way that stops the heart from pumping properly, this means that your heart, brain and other vital organs aren’t getting the blood they need to function. Action to correct this is best done by bystanders with an AED.
If a sudden cardiac arrest occurs the person will become unconscious and will stop breathing or stop breathing normally. While CPR keeps blood moving around the body, especially to the brain, it cannot reverse the electrical problem it needs to be treated with a defibrillator or AED to stop the chaotic electrical activity in the hope that a normal electrical mechanical response will be restored.
Call the Ambulance on 000 in Australia for sudden cardiac arrest. Start CPR and ensure you have a Defibrillator
Download your free wall chart here of the DRSABCD Emergency action plan
Any chest pain should be considered a heart attack until proven otherwise at hospital.
The paramedic adage is that all chest pain is cardiac until proven otherwise is very true
“Chest pain can be classified as any pain or discomfort to an area around the chest. Chest pain may be caused by a multitude of disease processes or injuries to the chest, lungs, heart, diaphragm, neck, stomach (reflux/indigestion pain) and even the abdominal organs. Paramedics and hospitals will If in doubt about the type of chest pain, look for or rule out potential cardiac causes.”
