Understanding Basic Life Support (BLS)
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, which is part of why BLS skills are broadly valuable. Basic Life Support, or BLS, is emergency care provided to a person experiencing cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, severe airway obstruction, or another immediately life-threatening condition. BLS includes rapid assessment, high-quality CPR, rescue breathing, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), choking response, and coordinated care when multiple trained responders are available.
BLS Priorities
During a life-threatening emergency:
- Ensure scene safety
- Check responsiveness
- Assess breathing
- Activate emergency medical services
- Check for a pulse when appropriate to your training
- Begin CPR or rescue breathing as indicated
- Use an AED as soon as possible
- Coordinate care with other trained responders when available
- Continue care until signs of life return or professional responders take over
Adults, Children and Infants
For this course:
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Adult: A person showing signs of puberty or older
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Child: Approximately 1 year of age until signs of puberty
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Infant: Younger than 1 year, excluding a newborn immediately after birth
High-Quality CPR
High-quality CPR includes:
- Correct compression rate
- Correct compression depth
- Complete chest recoil
- Minimal interruptions
- Appropriate ventilation
- Avoiding excessive ventilation
BLS and Team Response
BLS may be performed by one rescuer or by multiple trained responders. When several responders are present, assigning clear roles and communicating effectively can reduce interruptions and improve the quality of care.
Important Training Limitation
This course provides knowledge-based BLS education. Specific workplaces or professional roles may require additional hands-on skills assessment, equipment training, or organization-specific procedures.
