Katie Garagnon 6th Period

Artifact #1: Terms & Definitions

1. Resuscitation- to revive, especially from apparent death or from unconsciousness.
2. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)- emergency procedure performed to revive heart
and lung function involving rescue breaths, chest compressions, and various equipment.
3. Cardiac arrest- a sudden, unexpected loss of consciousness, breathing, and heart
function.
4. Code blue- alert given to staff during a medical emergency when a patient suddenly
crashes and falls into cardiac arrest, immediately requiring medical attention for
resuscitative efforts.
5. Crash cart- a mobile cart containing supplies and equipment for use in emergency
resuscitations.
6. Defibrillation- administering controlled electric shocks to the heart in order to restore to
a normal rhythm.
7. Automated external defibrillator (AED)- portable electronic device that automatically
diagnoses life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and treats them using defibrillation,
delivering electric shocks.
8. Cardiac arrhythmia- improper beating of the heart, whether irregular, too fast, or too
slow.
9. DNR Order- stands for “Do Not Resuscitate” and is a medical order that instructs health
care providers not to perform CPR or resuscitative efforts when a patient’s heart stops
or when they stop breathing.
10. Clinical death- cessation of heart beat, circulation, and breathing.

 Sources:
 https://www.alscofirstaid.com.au/first-aid-resources/first-aid-glossary/
 https://www.dictionary.com/
 https://g.co/kgs/ovthCs
 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000473.htm
 https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=59953
 Artifact #2: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
In the ER, many patients present with signs and symptoms of weakness, numbness, and
altered mental status. These among others-droopiness on one side of the face, paralysis on one
side of the body, difficulty seeing and speaking, and pins and needles-indicate a cerebrovascular
accident (CVA). CVAs are more commonly known as strokes, which occur when there is an
interruption in blood supply to the brain, leading to brain damage. Strokes can be caused by
either a blocked artery/blood vessel or the leaking/bursting of blood vessels. This causes brain
tissue to be deprived of oxygen and other necessary nutrients, forcing the cells to die within a
matter of minutes. TIAs have similar symptoms but occur when this disruption of blood flow to
the brain is only temporary/short and results in no brain damage; they are known as “mini
strokes” and serve as a warning of a possible future stroke. In fact, about one third of the people
who experience TIAs end up having a CVA, occurring within a year among half of the people.
Strokes are the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. and approximately 800,000 people have one
each year, equivalent to about one person every 40 seconds. Furthermore, strokes are more
common in women than men. Treatment depends on the type of stroke the patient experienced
but generally involves using tPA, a clot buster, during the early stages in addition to reducing
complications and preventative measures for the future.

 Resources:
 https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2676
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/transient-ischemic-attack/symptoms-
causes/syc-20355679
 https://www.webmd.com/stroke/default.htm
 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7624.php
 https://www.gstatic.com/healthricherkp/pdf/stroke.pdf
 https://theheartysoul.com/signs-of-strokes-in-women/
 Artifact #3: Education & Training
Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification is the minimum certification required for health
care professionals to perform resuscitation. It encompasses learning basic life-saving skills used
for resuscitating a patient in cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. The American Red Cross and
the American Heart Association are most popularly utilized as the distributors of this training.
During the course, you learn basic CPR and mouth-to-mouth for infants, children, and adults,
components of controlling airway, breathing, and circulation, use of an AED, and how to
generally respond in emergency situations, considering all possible aspects; this can include
patient beliefs, legal issues, and critical thinking. The course includes both hands-on scenarios
in which the participant will perform first aid in realistic, simulated clinical situations in addition
to a written test component. This certification must be renewed every two years.

 Sources:
 https://www.cprconsultants.com/how-long-does-bls-certification-last/
 https://cpr.heart.org/AHAECC/CPRAndECC/Training/HealthcareProfessional/BasicLifeSu
pportBLS/UCM_481711_BLS---Instructor-Led-Training.jsp
 https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-bls-basic-life-support-certification-1736071
 Artifact #4: Techniques
As provided by the American Red Cross, the steps/tips/techniques for performing basic
CPR include the following:
1. Make sure the scene is safe, then tap the person on the shoulder and ask “Are you OK?”
in order to make certain that they need help.
2. If it’s clear they need help, call 911 and get an AED (or have a bystander help you).
3. Have the person lying flat on his or her back and tilt their chin/head slightly upwards to
open the airway.
4. Check for breathing (gasping for air doesn’t count); if there is no breathing heard after
about 10 seconds, begin CPR.
5. Place your hands one on top of the other with the top one’s fingers folded into the
bottom, flat hand. Push hard and fast in the middle of the chest. Use your body weight
to help you deliver chest compressions that are about 2 inches deep with a frequency of
100 compressions per minute.
6. One famously known tip is to give chest compressions to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” by
the Bee Gees.
7. After 30 chest compressions, tilt the head back, pinch their nose, and deliver 2 rescue
breaths each about 1 second long, making sure their chest rises in response. Then,
continue chest compressions and repeat rescue breaths after every 30 compressions.
8. Continue administering CPR until the person exhibits any sign of life, an AED becomes
available, or medical professionals arrive.

 Sources:
 https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/cpr-steps
 Artifact #5: Causes & Effects
Some common causes of cardiac arrest that result in necessary resuscitation include:

 Ventricular fibrillation- rapid, erratic electrical impulses make the heart ventricles quiver
uselessly rather than pumping blood normally.
 Coronary heart disease- difficulty conducting electrical impulses as a result of reduced
blood flow caused by arteries clogged with cholesterol and other deposits.
 Myocardial infarction (heart attack)- a disruption/lack of blood supply to the heart; this
can result in scar tissue and surrounding electrical circuits to cause abnormalities in
rhythm.
 Cardiomyopathy- a hereditary disease in which the ventricles of the heart are enlarged,
making it harder for the heart to pump blood adequately to the body.
 Valvular heart disease- a damaged or defected heart valve that leads to
thickened/stretched heart muscle, which increases the risk of arrhythmias.
 Congenital heart disease- defects (developed before birth) of the heart’s walls, valves,
arteries, or veins, such as leaky valves, defective vessels, or a hole in the heart which
disrupt blood flow to the heart.

Some effects of resuscitation include:

 Aspiration and vomiting
 Broken ribs
 Internal brain damage from temporary loss of oxygen
 Abdominal distension
 Aspiration pneumonia
 Poor neurological prognosis/function
 Severely distressing emotional/mental trauma

 Sources:
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cardiomyopathy/symptoms-
causes/syc-20370709
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-cardiac-arrest/symptoms-
causes/syc-20350634
 https://medlineplus.gov/congenitalheartdefects.html
 http://www.mycprcertificationonline.com/blog/five-possible-cpr-side-effects-you-
should-know/
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3223497/