This module is the starting point for Basic Life Support training. It covers the fundamental knowledge and essential actions required in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, focusing on recognition, rapid decision-making, and immediate intervention.

Core Content

• Purpose and physiology of BLS: why minutes matter in cardiac arrest.
• Epidemiology and survival determinants in out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest.
• Scene safety, hazard assessment, and PPE selection.
• Patient positioning and rapid primary assessment (responsiveness, breathing, pulse) within 10 seconds.
• Recognition of cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, and agonal respirations.
• Activation of emergency response and dispatcher-assisted CPR.
• Chain of Survival: recognition, first compression, early defibrillation, time targets.
• Human factors in communication, role allocation, and structured handover.
• Common early failure modes and mitigation strategies.

Learning Outcomes
By completing this module, learners will be able to:

• Define BLS and its objectives.
• Perform structured, time-bound assessments.
• Distinguish cardiac vs respiratory arrest and initiate appropriate action.
• Safely activate emergency response and follow dispatcher coaching.
• Apply the Chain of Survival principles with accurate timing.
• Anticipate and prevent common errors in the first two minutes of arrest care.

Teaching Methods

• Illustrated schematics and algorithms.
• Short instructional videos and dramatized scenarios.
• End-of-module quiz for knowledge consolidation.

This foundational training establishes the skills and confidence required for higher levels of BLS and advanced resuscitation.