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BASIC EMERGENCY CAREAppendix-VCardiac arrest occurs in 70% of individuals at home and 20% at workspace and only in 10% at hospital.It is therfore important that non-healthcare persons such as schoolchildren, teachers, police anddrivers should learn how to o save life and transport the patient to the nearest health facilit.Cardiopulmonary resucitation (CPR) is a procedure to support and maintain breathing and cirulationfor a person who has stopped breathing (respiratory arrest) and/or whose heart has stopped (cardiacarrest.)Basic Emergency Care (BEC) is the emergency care which can be provided by schoolchildren,teachers, police and drivers in the absence of advanced medical care. If one school kid is trained inCPR, he or she can take care of his peers, family members and community at large.Beside CPR and foreign body reomoval, it also includes considerations of patient transport suchas the protection of the cervical spine and avoiding additional injuries through splinting andimmobilization.When witnessing sudden collapse in victims of all ages, the rescuer should first telephone the emergencymedical services system and then return to continue CPR (phone first). But for unwitnessed arrest(eg drowning, drug overdose and injured), the rescuer should deliver five cycles of CPR before callingemergency number and then continue CPR (phone fast).THE CHAIN OF SURVIVALThe highest survival rate from cardiac arrest can be achieved only when the following sequence ofevents occurs as rapidly as possible :1. Early recognition of warning signs2. Activation of emergency medical services3. Basic CPR4. Defibrillation5. Management of airway and ventilation6. Intravenous administration of medicationsFigure 1 : The adult chain of survival. The 4 links of actions in the chain are (1) phone (2) CPR, (3)early defibrillation and (4) advanced care91