Synonyms
Definition
Basic life support (BLS) is defined as a variety of noninvasive emergency procedures performed to assist in the immediate survival of a patient, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, stabilization of fractures, spinal immobilization, and basic first aid. Some of these procedures can be lifesaving and are often important to implement early. Specifically in the case of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation with automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), BLS procedures can have a significant impact on survival, and are typically delivered by initial responders (sometimes referred to as first-responders) until more advanced and definitive medical care can be implemented. BLS is typically provided by either first responders or emergency medical technician (EMT)-basics.
Characteristics
BLS can be provided by first responders or EMTs. EMTs are classified as EMT-basic...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Eisenberg MS, Psaty BM (2009) Defining and improving survival rates from cardiac arrest in US communities. JAMA 301:860–862
Bobrow BT et al (2008) Minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation by emergency Medical services for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. JAMA 299:1158–1165
Soroudi A et al (2007) Adult foreign airway obstruction in the prehospital setting. Prehosp Emerg Care 11(1):25–29
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Colwell, C.B., Soriya, G. (2012). Basic Life Support. In: Vincent, JL., Hall, J.B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Intensive Care Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00418-6_365
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00418-6_365
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-00417-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-00418-6
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine