Okuzeka
Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · CPR and Resuscitation

Chain of survival

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

nounCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, chain of survival means: A series of linked steps that give a person in cardiac arrest the best chance of living: early call for help, early CPR, early defibrillation and good care afterwards.

In Turkish: yaşam zinciri, hayatta kalma zinciri

How it is used

Shown as a chain of linked rings in resuscitation guidelines and training posters. The exact links differ slightly between organizations, and some add recovery as a final link. The idea is that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Example sentences

  1. Bystanders are the first links in the chain of survival.

  2. Our training day starts with the chain of survival.

Common collocations

  • link in the chain of survival
  • chain of survival poster
  • strengthen the chain of survival
  • CPRShort for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: chest compressions, often with rescue breaths, given to someone whose heart has stopped, to keep blood and oxygen moving to the brain.
  • AEDShort for automated external defibrillator: a portable device that checks the heart rhythm through pads on the chest and gives an electric shock if one is needed.
  • bystanderA member of the public who happens to be present when someone collapses or is hurt, and who is not part of the emergency services.
  • cardiac arrestA sudden stop in the heart's effective pumping, so that blood no longer reaches the brain and the person collapses and stops breathing normally.

More terms: CPR and Resuscitation

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.