CHAIN OF SURVIVAL

The heart of thousands of people stop every day, many of them were still in very good condition to die. Efforts to revive these hearts and restore spontaneous activity, without the brain is injured, not being very well coordinated and perform them very early so they will not be effective.

Thus, the successful survival of cardiac arrest depends on a series of critical interventions concatenated.

The AHA (American Heart Association) has used the term "chain of survival" to describe the sequence of actions critical of a metaphorical and easy to remember. Like any chain, its strength lies in that hold the weakest link, and each community will depend on the specific design of each.
It consists of four independent links: early access, early CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) Basic, early defibrillation and early ACLS (Advanced Cardiopulmonary Life Support).

1. FIRST LINK: EARLY ACCESS.
It covers the period from the start of symptoms to arrival of the first respondent prepared to provide care. The recognition of early warning signs such as chest pain or shortness of breath, are key components of this link. The strength of this first step lies primarily in asking for help to CRUM (Emergency Medical Center controller), which is both technical and medical-administrative level, the responsibility of the Ministry of Health State or Federal District where appropriate, that establishes the sequence of specific activities for prehospital medical care, at the site of critical event, transfer and reception in the establishment designated for health care, in order to provide timely and specialized medical care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

2. SECOND LINK: EARLY CPR.
Basic CPR is more effective the sooner it is started. Clinical studies show that CPR performed by a witness of heart failure has a significant positive effect on survival. It is therefore easily deduced that this link should be taught and practiced by all citizens, recommendation of the National Conference on CPR and ACU.

3. THIRD LINK: early defibrillation.
It is a link in the chain of survival most likely to improve the outcome. Its efficiency is inversely proportional to elapsed from start of fibrillation to realization time of electric shock. The AHA says that the distribution of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the hands of many people trained in its use, may be the key intervention to improve survival.

4. FOURTH LINK: ACLS EARLY.
Provided by professionals is the end of care in cardiac arrest critical link. Systems that have achieved greater survival rate in patients with ventricular fibrillation, had teams of at least 2 components suppliers ACLS members plus 2 experts in AVB (Basic Life Support) in the scene.
The rapid restoration of a spontaneously beating heart offers a better chance of achieving the ultimate goal: a healthy, thinking and feeling human being.

5. COMPREHENSIVE CARE POSPARO.
They care that are performed within the inpatient setting.