Advanced Medical Certification

Shopping Cart

No products in the cart.

View All Courses

The Initial Assessment

Understanding the conscious state of your patient is a quick process. When someone in a public space is visibly distressed or injured, reach out to them.

Take Note

Assessing the safety of the scene is important before approaching the patient and beginning the ACLS or BLS Survey.

When addressing a patient who is “down,” you must first assess whether or not they are conscious.

If the individual is unconscious, then start with the BLS Survey (Figure 20) and move on to the ACLS Survey (Figure 9).

If they are conscious and responsive, obtain consent to provide care and continue assessment and questioning to determine the next steps.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Online Certification Course

Back to: Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Online Certification Course > The Initial Assessment