CALUZA, ZHYRAINE IRAJ D.

Life-saving Interventions

Rehabilitation (Cardiac)

Zhyraine Iraj D. Caluza

Union Christian College

CALUZA, ZHYRAINE IRAJ D. 2

Life-saving Interventions

 There are 5 interventions that are considered lifesaving and those that are not, for the
purposes of ESI triage. Interventions not considered lifesaving include some
interventions that are diagnostic or therapeutic, but none that would save a life.
 Lifesaving interventions are aimed at securing an airway, maintaining breathing,
supporting circulation or addressing a major change in level of consciousness (LOC).
CALUZA, ZHYRAINE IRAJ D. 3

The following questions are used to determine whether the patient requires an immediate
lifesaving intervention:

• Does this patient have a patent airway?

• Is the patient breathing?
• Does the patient have a pulse?
• Is the nurse concerned about the pulse rate, rhythm, and quality?
• Was this patient intubated pre-hospital because of concerns about the patient’s ability to
maintain a patent airway, spontaneously breathe, or maintain oxygen saturation?
• Is the nurse concerned about this patient’s ability to deliver adequate oxygen to the
tissues?
• Does the patient require an immediate medication, or other hemodynamic intervention
such as volume replacement or blood?
• Does the patient meet any of the following criteria: already intubated, apneic, pulseless,
severe respiratory distress, SpO2 < 90 percent, acute mental status changes, or
unresponsive?
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Cardiac Rehabilitation

• Cardiac rehabilitation is a comprehensive exercise, education, and behavior

modification program designed to improve the physical and emotional
condition of patients with heart disease. It is prescribed to control symptoms
and improve exercise tolerance and overall quality of life. The primary goal
of cardiac rehabilitation is to enable the participant to achieve his/her
optimal physical, psychological, social, and vocational functioning through
exercise training and lifestyle change.

The core components of cardiac rehabilitation include:

 Prescribed exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness without exceeding safe

limits.
 Education about heart disease along with counseling on ways to stabilize or
reverse heart disease by improving the following risk factors:
o Reduction/cessation of smoking
o Lipid management
o Controlling high blood pressure
o Weight loss and eating a heart-healthy diet
o Controlling diabetes
o Increasing physical activity
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References:

Medical eStudy. 5 Immediate Life-saving Interventions. Retrieved from

http://www.medicalestudy.com/5-immediate-life-saving-interventions/

Alpert J. S. (February 2020). Cardiac Rehabilitation: An Underutilized Class I

Treatment for Cardiovascular Disease. Retrieved from
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(20)30101-7/fulltext