RED CROSS BLS CERTIFICATIONS – TYPES OF ASSISTED VENTILATION

Red Cross BLS certifications are for those who want to master the art of glove removal, primary assessment, CPR/AED (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/Automated External Defibrillator), airway obstruction, assisted ventilation, and relevant considerations. 

We have already discussed enough about one of these concepts. We would like you to learn something about a new concept through this post.

What Is Assisted Ventilation In Red Cross Basic Life Support Courses:

It is a technique implemented to fill a patient’s lungs with atmospheric air/supplemental oxygen. This technique is used under the following circumstances:

  • Respiratory arrest.
  • Irregularity in patient's respiratory rates.

A patient’s respiratory rate should be no lower than ten breaths per minute or no higher than thirty breaths per minute. The technique is used if a patient struggles to breathe adequately and appropriately. 

Types of Assisted Ventilation

This technique is a crucial component of Red Cross BLS certification in many ways. Listed below are all the major types of assisted ventilation techniques used in a BLS course:

  • Mouth-to-mouth Ventilation

This is a necessary part of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation process. It is used if a pocket mask or bag mask is unavailable. It is the best way to ensure oxygen supply to a patient’s lungs.

It does not put the rescuer at a high level of risk. A Red Cross BLS certification helps learn steps to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation to revive patients.

  • Mouth-To-Barrier Device Ventilation:

Mouth-to-barrier device ventilation, also known as a pocket mask, is a barrier-protected resuscitation method. This specialized form of rescue position diverges from the following techniques:

  • Mouth-to-mouth technique.
  • Mouth-to-nose technique.

It helps prevent infection transmission between pocket mask rescuer positions and the patient. 

You will need the following two things to implement this technique successfully to save a life under critical circumstances:

  • Knowledge of CPR protocols.
  • Complete knowledge about the comprehension of this specialized technique.

A Red Cross CPR certification online can help you master both things. 

This technique is used for the following purposes:

  • To assess the emergency.
  • To initiate the distress call to the rescue team.
  • To stabilize the patient in a rescue position.
  • To ensure the patient is supine in a solid position.
  • To facilitate hassle-free respiration use the head-tilt/chin-lift technique to open the airway passage.
  • To select and align a pocket mask to cover the nose and oral cavity of the patient.
  • For establishing the airtight interface between the following to ensure the elimination of oxygen’s escape:
  • Pocket mask.
  • Facial contour.
  • Ensure ventilatory support delivery at a frequency of at least an inhalation every two seconds.
  • To monitor the following after inhalation for the verification of resuscitation’s efficacy:
  • Thoracic elevation.
  • Depression.

A Red Cross CPR Certification is the best way to master this technique and its concepts. 

  • BVM (Bag Valve Mask) Ventilation:

BVM is not an easy skill to master. Enrollment in a Red Cross certification online is the best way to master this skill. This skill is essential during emergency circumstances. The use of this technique is necessary to deal with the following cases:

  • Hypercapnic respiratory failure.
  • Apnea.
  • Altered mental status compromised airway protection.
  • Hypoxic respiratory failure.
  • Anesthetized patients may need it during elective surgery.

You will learn about it in detail through a course. What is better than a Red Cross certification online to learn about it in detail? Being a part of a relevant course helps you learn many more things related to it. For instance:

  • The equipment you need for it.
  • The preparations required for it.
  • BVM (Bag Valve Mask) technique or treatment.
  • Complications.
  • Its clinical significance.
  • The way it enhances the healthcare team’s outcome.

You need correct and complete knowledge about these things to climb the success ladder in your career. 

  • Mouth-to-stoma Ventilation:

All Red Cross basic life certification holders learn about this technique on a priority basis. It provides artificial ventilation to patients who undergo a surgical procedure called tracheostomy. It helps deliver air directly to the stoma during the CPR process. 

Positioning, sealing, breathing, and chest rise observation play a role in it. Almost every Red Cross certification online teaches about it. It is required to deal with cases related to respiratory arrest, choking, cardiac arrest, severe respiratory distress, traumas, or injuries related to the chest or neck. 

Learn the art of performing mouth-to-art stoma ventilation. For example:

  • You learn to make an airtight seal using your lips near the stoma.
  • The process to blow the air in to make the chest rise clearly.
  • The process of ensuring the supply of rescue breath into the stoma while performing CPR is another thing you learn.
  • The best practices to keep the airway in a neutral position.
  • The best practices required to look, feel, and listen to breathing by placing your ear over the stoma.
  • The reason for not allowing the patient's chin or head to flex forward towards the chest.
  • Why a patient's chin or head should not extend backward.

There are several types of Mouth-to-stoma ventilation techniques. For example:

  • Direct mouth-to-stoma.
  • Mouth-to-stoma head tilt.
  • BVM (Bag Valve Mask) to stoma.
  • Pocket mask to stoma.
  • Rescue breathing with manual ventilation.

All of these techniques are used under different circumstances. Those who want to learn about these mouth-to-stoma techniques enrol in a Red Cross BLS certification online. 

  • FROPVD:

FROPVD (Flow Restricted Oxygen Powered Ventilation Device), also known as MTV (Manually Triggered Ventilation Device), is a machine used under the following circumstances:

  • To assist ventilation in apneic patients.
  • To assist ventilation in hyperventilating patients.
  • To provide supplemental oxygen to breathing patients.
  • To treat patients breathing spontaneously.
  • If the patient is not breathing.
  • If the patient is struggling to breathe.
  • To provide breaths until the chest rises.
  • To deliver oxygen 100% to patients’ lungs at a peak rate flow.

There are different types of FROPVD ventilation techniques. All these techniques are used under different circumstances mentioned above. Take a look at the FROPVD types below:

  • PPV (Positive Pressure Ventilation).
  • Assisted Ventilation.
  • CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure).
  • IPPV (Intermittent Positive Ventilation).
  • Bilateral Ventilation.

Another important thing a Red Cross basic life support certification holder must know about is the list of FROPVD devices used to deal with the circumstances mentioned earlier. Take a look at the list of FROPVD devices below:

  • FROPVD with Face Mask.
  • FROPVD with Endotracheal tube.
  • FROPVD with Tracheostomy tube.
  • Pediatric FROPVD.
  • Automatic FROPVD.
  • Two-person BVM Ventilation:

This ventilation technique is used under the following circumstances:

  • If the patient is not breathing.
  • If the patient is struggling to breathe.
  • If the patient needs assistance to breathe.

It is a BVM (Bag Valve Mask) technique implemented by two Red Cross certification holders (rescuers) together. Two professionals work together to implement this technique. It helps patients breathe easily and offers several more benefits. 

You can learn more about this technique or treatment, its complications, clinical significance, and types like standard two-person BVM ventilation, modified two-person BVM ventilation, two-person BVM with suction, two-person BVM with oxygen suction, and two-person BVM with endotracheal tube through a Red Cross basic life support certification online easily. 

Keep coming back if you want to learn more about it. We will continue posting about it regularly. Those who enrol in our Red Cross basic life support certification course online to learn more about it access the knowledge and experience of our skilled tutors.

BLS CERTIFICATION – AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION TREATMENTS EXPLAINED

A BLS certification loads lifesavers with confidence. All this confidence helps lifesavers gain the skills needed to perform CPR skills confidently in a team environment. They become more responsible lifesavers with a duty to respond.

A BLS certification loads you with several essential life-saving skills. The list includes but is not limited to the following:

  • The art of glove removal.
  • Primary assessment skills.
  • CPR & AED.
  • Airway obstruction detection skills and treatment methods.
  • Assisted ventilation.
  • BLS special considerations.

We have been talking about one of these concepts for some time. It is the concept of airway obstruction. We have decided to advance your knowledge about it. We are going to detail the following in this post for you:

  • The way airway obstruction is treated.
  • Acute upper airway obstruction.
  • Cause of upper airway obstruction.
  • The best time to seek medical attention.

The Art of Treating Airway Obstruction:

The basic life support certification course teaches you several airway obstruction treatment methods mentioned below:

  • The heimlich manoeuvre.
  • Epinephrine
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Airway obstruction is a serious medical condition. There are many types of airway obstruction. Some of its types get treated easily. However, some types of airway obstructions can be life-threatening. If ignored, consider the inevitable on cards!

Call emergency medical services if you see someone facing airway obstruction. Allow us to discuss these treatments with you.

The Heimlich Manoeuvre:

Every basic life support certification course focuses on this emergency technique. It is applied to help if someone is choking on a foreign object. Follow the steps mentioned below to handle the situation in the best possible way!

  • Stand behind the person choking.
  • Wrap your arms around the waist of the person choking.
  • Make a fist.
  • Target the belly button with the fist.
  • Place your fist in your other hand.
  • Give five fast thrusts by pressing your fist into the patient's abdomen area.
  • You should repeat the thrusting process until the object gets dislodged or medical services reach the scene.

Important Note: The Red Cross Society also recommends five back blows. However, some medical study-related institutes do not teach such a thing.

This emergency technique is used for infants.

Epinephrine:

Airway swelling is one of the causes of airway obstruction. It happens to people with severe allergies. Therefore, you should carry an EpiPen in your emergency medical kit. Following is the list of people who usually face this condition.

  • People are allergic to certain food items.
  • People are allergic to bee stings.

Such people have to face one of the conditions mentioned below:

  • Sudden and rapid swelling of the throat.
  • Rapid and sudden swelling of the tongue.

Such a condition results in complete airway obstruction within a couple of minutes.

What is an EpiPen?

A simple injector that carries Epinephrine is called EpiPen.

What is an EpiPen?

A basic life support specialist is asked to inject an injection into the patient’s outer thigh. Inject it as soon as the patient experiences symptoms of severe allergic reaction.

This injection is useful for a patient experiencing anaphylactic shock. Inject it while the patient waits for the medical services to arrive at the scene.

The medical professional who arrives at the scene must be a basic life support certificate holder with complete knowledge about the art of injecting EpinePhrine after evaluating the patient. Evaluate the patient as possible.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR):

A basic life support certification holder must be familiar with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. All lifesaving skills related to the CPR process are always taught to medical emergency professionals. Skills relevant to it are used under the following circumstances:

  • If the patient is unable to breathe.
  • If the patient loses consciousness.
  • To ensure the appropriate flow of oxygenated blood to the patient's brain.

It is done until medical services arrive at the scene.

Perform the steps mentioned below to perform CPR in such a critical situation:

  • Place the heel of your hand in the middle of the patient's chest.
  • Target the top with your other hand.
  • Push straight down while applying your upper body weight.
  • You should repeat the process 100 to 120 times per minute.

Continue the process until an ambulance or a team of BLS certification-holder medical professionals arrive at the scene. 

Prognosis After An Airway Obstruction:

There are several types of airway obstruction treatment methods. Any treatment can be used once the ambulance arrives.

One of the following tubes can be inserted into the airways:

  • Endotracheal tube.
  • Nasotracheal tube.

The insertion of these tubes can help ensure oxygen flow through swollen airways. Two surgical openings are ensured in the airways. These two surgical openings help bypass and obstruct. Mentioned below are the names of those two surgical openings for your reference:

  • Tracheostomy.
  • Cricothyrotomy.

Medical professionals who are heavily experienced, skilled, and basic life support certificate holders perform these medical procedures when all of the methods mentioned above fail. 

Keep Watch On Prognosis After An Airway Obstruction:

Airway obstructions can be life-threatening even during the treatment. However, prompt treatment can help patients get rid of this medical condition. Seek medical help immediately if you see someone experiencing airway obstruction.

Acute Upper Airway Obstruction:

It is a blockage that interferes with the upper airway system of your body. This part of your respiratory system consists of the following organs:

  • Trachea.
  • Larynx/Voicebox.
  • Throat.

Airways obstruction prevents the flow of oxygen in all parts of your body. This problem has the potential to cause two major health issues listed below:

  • Brain damage.
  • Heart attack.

It happens within a couple of minutes. This type of airway obstruction has the potential to be life-threatening. Look for a basic life support certificate holder or call for medical help immediately if you or someone you know is dealing with such a problem.

Cause Of Upper Airway Obstruction:

People experience this problem for several reasons. Listed below are those reasons for your reference:

  • Anaphylaxis
  • Croup
  • Epiglottis
  • Inhaling a foreign object or food.

The Best Time To Seek Medical Attention:

Don’t be lazy in this matter. Call a basic life support certificate holder or medical help immediately. Agitation, confusion, panic, drooling, swollen face, swollen tongue, difficulty in breathing, wheezing, choking, unconsciousness, and other unusual breath sounds are some common symptoms of UAO (Upper Airway Obstruction).

The list of signs varies sometimes. The signs of UAO could be different among two patients. Cyanosis can also be a symptom of upper airway obstruction. Cyanosis occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the patient’s body. It gives the following a bluish color:

  • Your skin.
  • Your lips.
  • Your fingernails.

Immediately call a medical professional with a basic life support certificate for help if you notice a bluish tint in these organs/parts of your body.

Knowledge is a deep ocean. It never ends. You will continue finding something new every time you deep dive into this ocean. Therefore, keep coming back here to learn more about the concept.

Come back acticert to enroll in the best BLS certification course in Canada. You will learn about it and many more concepts. Call our support staff if you need help to enroll! Assistance is just a call away!