Position and open
Use the airway-opening maneuver appropriate to the situation and training. Head-tilt/chin-lift is commonly taught when trauma is not suspected; jaw-thrust is commonly taught when cervical injury is a concern.
Principle
Fix the life threat you find, then immediately check whether care worked
Equipment does not replace assessment. Oxygen does not open an obstructed airway. An airway adjunct does not guarantee adequate ventilation. A normal blood pressure does not rule out shock.
Scope reminder: Learn names, purpose, indications, limitations, and reassessment here. Practice suction, adjunct insertion, BVM ventilation, oxygen delivery, tourniquet use, and other physical skills only through approved training and local protocol.
A — Airway priorities
Open, clear, maintain, and protect
Clear obstruction
Remove visible material when appropriate, suction blood/vomit/secretions, and provide current choking care for severe foreign-body obstruction.
Maintain and monitor
Airway adjuncts may help maintain patency in selected patients, but they require correct sizing, insertion, ongoing monitoring, and formal instruction.
B — Breathing priorities
Support ventilation first when breathing is inadequate
Position and monitor
Use a position the patient can tolerate when appropriate, expose enough to assess chest rise, and continuously watch effort, speech, fatigue, SpO₂, and ETCO₂ when available.
Assist ventilation
A bag-valve mask is used when breathing is absent or inadequate. A good mask seal, open airway, visible chest rise, and avoiding excessive ventilation are essential.
Support oxygenation
Provide oxygen when indicated by the patient and protocol. Oxygen alone cannot correct apnea, severe hypoventilation, or a blocked airway.
C — Circulation priorities
Control bleeding, support perfusion, recognize cardiac arrest
Control major bleeding
Use direct pressure, wound packing where authorized, pressure dressings, or a tourniquet according to training and the wound location.
Manage shock priorities
Treat the cause, keep the patient appropriately warm, minimize delay, monitor mental status and perfusion, and arrange transport/resources based on severity.
No pulse: begin resuscitation
When cardiac arrest is recognized, activate the response, begin high-quality CPR, apply an AED, and follow current BLS training.
Open CPR Learning Center →Equipment explorer
Tap an item to reveal its real purpose
Suction
Airway-clearing equipment.
OPA
Oropharyngeal airway.
NPA
Nasopharyngeal airway.
Bag-valve mask
Ventilation equipment.
Oxygen device
Oxygenation support.
Tourniquet
Extremity bleeding control.
Arrange the workflow
Primary-assessment sequence game
Move each step into the lower row in order. Click a selected step to return it.
Available steps
Your sequence
Practice the findings
Open the tools that support each decision
Airway & breathing
Review airway foundations, respiratory rate, breath sounds, pulse oximetry, and capnography.
Circulation & perfusion
Practice pulse, blood pressure, skin signs, and full vital-sign documentation.
Integrated decision-making
Apply assessment priorities in the ABC scenario page and medical simulator.