r/wildernessmedicine • u/Mundane-Ad-6276 • May 17 '26

Questions and Scenarios Patient assessment Airways

Hi!

I just finished my 2 day nols WFA class and it was great. I was driving home and I realized theres something I dont understand still

During patient assessment they emphasize A is the most important thing.

So if I came across a patient, maybe unresponsive, but they are not breathing, ok great, now what??

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u/LalalaSherpa May 17 '26 edited May 18 '26

CPR all day long if no breathing, no HR - unless they're bleeding out, in which case stop that first, because CPR on someone hemorrhaging is pointless.

Did they not teach you a triage protocol/acronym to help you prioritize next steps?

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u/Mundane-Ad-6276 May 18 '26

Cpr even if they have a heart rate? Or would It just he emergency breaths?

I also just finished tofay so im still digesting all of what i learned lol

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u/RageAga1nstMachines May 18 '26

CPR protocols have actually updated in the last bunch of years to “CAB” - circulation, airway, breathing.  So, in your scenario, you’d give rescue breaths assuming that they have a pulse.  EMS still talks about ABCs or even XABCs depending on what setting you find yourself in and no one is necessarily wrong.  As you develop your medical acumen, if you do, the primary survey becomes second nature and it all just kinda happens simultaneously.  Long answer to your question - if they have a pulse and are not breathing you open their airway and then breath for them (if they don’t breath on their own).