Early recognition and call for help

• the aim is to recognise the symptoms and signs preceding cardiac arrest as early as possible and call an emergency service (if possible before the patient collapses)
• once the cardiac arrest has already occurred, early recognition is critical to enable rapid calling of the emergency service and prompt initiation of CPR

Early CPR

• prompt initiation of CPR substantially increases survival from the cardiac arrest
• when a bystander has not been trained in CPR, the emergency medical dispatcher will instruct them to give chest-compression-only CPR while awaiting the arrival of the emergency services
• bystanders with CPR training should provide chest compressions together with rescue breaths
• this part of the chain will be further discussed in Unit 2

Early defibrillation

• it can be achieved by public-access AED and First responders system
• this part of the chain will be further discussed in Unit 2

Early advanced life support and standardised post-resuscitation care

• the advanced life support includes: the airway management, the application of the drugs and the treatment of the reversible causes of the cardiac arrest