DRABCD Action Plan
The DRABCD action plan will assist you to determine the priorities of of your first aid care in any life threatening situations. This plan will also assist you in assessing for the presence or absence of consciousness and breathing, and will enable you to determine the type of Basic Life Support measures required to preserve and/or restore life.
D- Dangers: Check for danger. Do not touch the person before checking the surrounding environment. There may be a toaster or a similar instrument that uses electricity. Electrocution can then be suspected. In such scenario, one must push it away using the back of the hand as far away as possible before consulting the person.
R-Responsive: Is the victim conscious? Say allow these following sentences to check; 1.) "Are you OK?" - checking if the person is in danger 2.) "Can you hear me?" - trying to get some response from the victim 4.) "What's your name?" - this is trying to be more interactive with the victim, and asking this question might help you to soothe 3.) "Open your eyes" - the person may not be able to talk. But they may still be conscious enough to open their eyes 5.) "Squeeze my hand!" - the person might not be able to move any part of their body but to squeeze hands to show consciousness, perhaps just before passing out. *S- Send for help: This is not part of the DRABCD structure, but it is still one of the most fundamental steps you must take. Remember, CPR is only for you to EARN time, it cannot last forever. After checking that the person is unconscious, you must send for help. Scream, if necessary. Make it visible. Call the ambulance, if you're the only one around. A- Airway: Check the airway. Gently move the person to their side, tilt their head back, put one arm and one leg across the body and using your index finger, open their airways to check for any foreign matter. Get it out quickly once you feel the foreign matter or fluid. Again, don't spend too much time on this, as chest compressions can also help to push foreign material back out of the upper way. B- Breathing: Check for normal breathing. Grunts cannot be assumed as normal breathing, Kneel down, put your cheek over the patient's mouth. Feel for breathing and at the same time, check if the chest is rising regularly. If not, immediately commence CPR. C- CPR: Place the heel of one hand on the lower half of the person's breastbone. Place the other hand on top of the first hand and interlock your fingers. Press down firmly- thinking of a rhythmical song inside your hand might help you to perform the chest compressions more precisely. Follow the 5 cycles. Effective chest compressions will be tiring. If anyone is around you, make sure to allow changeovers. D- Defibrillator: Attach automated external defibrillator (AED) as soon as one becomes available. This can be only used for victims over the age of 8. For anyone under the age of eight, it is ideal to use a pad or a paediatric AED. CPR must be continued until the AED is turned on and the pads are attached. It is important to follow the prompts on the AED. |