HWN Suggests

BLS Is More Than Basic, It’s Fundamental To Good Care

The way we describe things assigns value – and basic implies that it is easy to do and sounds much less attractive that “advanced”. But there is a large body of evidence that suggests that not only is BLS care is fundamental to good outcomes, but that some aspects of “advanced” care can distract/detract from the “fundamentals” that really make a difference to patients.

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Articles of Interest

Advanced Life Support vs. Basic Life Support for Patients With Trauma in Prehospital Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

In prehospital settings, the present study showed no advantages of ALS on the outcomes in patients with trauma compared to BLS.

In the Pipeline: Head Up CPR in OHCA?

Head up (HUP) CPR is an emerging concept. The theory behind HUP is it allows for venous blood to drain from the brain to the heart thereby decreasing intracranial pressure and lowering the arterial/venous pressure waves which concuss the brain with each compression.

Is advanced life support better than basic life support in prehospital care? A systematic review

ALS seems to improve survival in patients with myocardial infarction and BLS seems to be the proper level of care for patients with penetrating injuries. Some studies indicate a beneficial effect of ALS among patients with blunt head injuries or multiple injuries. There is also some evidence in favour of ALS among patients with epileptic seizures as well as those with a respiratory distress.

What exactly is Basic Life Support (BLS) and why is it important

Most people have heard the term CPR and have at least a basic understanding of what this term means, but if you asked many have they ever heard of BLS, you'd probably get the answer "no". However, BLS and CPR have a lot in common.

Resources

Life in the Fastlane

These are guidelines for all comers.