Basic Life Support for Adults, Children and Infants in Clinical Practice
This subtopic covers the essential skills for assessing emergency scenes and providing immediate life support to unresponsive casualties across all age groups. It includes the recognition of respiratory emergencies, the application of CPR and AED use for non-breathing patients, management of breathing unconscious patients, and relief of choking. Learners must demonstrate competence in adapting techniques for adults, children, and infants in a clinical setting.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The Highfield Level 3 Award in Basic Life Support for Adults, Children and Infants in Clinical Practice (RQF) is a regulated qualification designed for healthcare professionals, including nurses, midwives, paramedics, and healthcare assistants, who are required to perform basic life support (BLS) in clinical settings. This award covers the essential skills and knowledge needed to manage unresponsive patients, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) across all age groups—adults, children, and infants. It aligns with the Resuscitation Council (UK) guidelines and emphasises the importance of early intervention in the chain of survival.
In clinical practice, BLS is a critical competency that can significantly improve patient outcomes during cardiac arrest. This qualification ensures that healthcare providers can confidently assess a patient's condition, call for appropriate help, and deliver high-quality chest compressions and rescue breaths. The course also addresses the differences in anatomy and physiology between age groups, such as the need for a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2 for adults and children, and 15:2 for infants when two rescuers are present. Understanding these nuances is vital for safe and effective practice.
This award fits into the wider Health & Social Care curriculum by building on foundational knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and infection control. It is often a prerequisite for more advanced life support courses, such as Immediate Life Support (ILS) or Advanced Life Support (ALS). Mastery of BLS not only enhances patient safety but also fulfils regulatory requirements for many clinical roles, making it an essential qualification for anyone working in direct patient care.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Chain of Survival: Early recognition, early CPR, early defibrillation, and post-resuscitation care are the four key links that improve survival rates in cardiac arrest.
- →DRSABCD: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation—a systematic approach to assessing and managing an unresponsive patient.
- →Compression-to-ventilation ratios: 30:2 for adults and children (single rescuer), 15:2 for infants (two rescuers), with a compression rate of 100-120 per minute and depth of 5-6 cm for adults.
- →Use of AED: Automated external defibrillators analyse heart rhythms and deliver shocks if needed; they are safe for use on adults, children (with paediatric pads), and infants (with paediatric pads or a dose attenuator).
- →Recovery position: For unresponsive patients who are breathing normally, placing them in the recovery position maintains an open airway and reduces the risk of aspiration.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Be able to assess an emergency situation safely Be able to provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty who is not breathing normally Be able to provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty who is breathing normally Be able to provide first aid to a casualty who is choking
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Perform a primary survey following DRABC, ensuring scene safety, assessing responsiveness and breathing simultaneously, and calling for appropriate help without delay.
- Deliver high-quality chest compressions: correct depth (5-6cm adults, ~5cm children, ~4cm infants), rate of 100-120/min, full chest recoil, and minimal interruptions.
- Provide effective rescue breaths: head tilt/chin lift or jaw thrust as indicated, visible chest rise, and appropriate volume to avoid gastric inflation, using barrier devices.
- Correctly place a breathing unresponsive casualty in the recovery position, maintaining alignment and regularly reassessing breathing.
- Demonstrate age-appropriate back blows and abdominal/chest thrusts for a choking casualty, escalating to CPR if the casualty becomes unresponsive.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Throughout assessments, verbalize your thought process—e.g., state ‘scene safe, I’m checking for response and breathing’—to demonstrate understanding of the systematic approach.
- 💡When using a manikin with feedback, adjust your technique in real time; if the assessor notes deviations, calmly correct them to show adaptive competence.
- 💡For choking scenarios, emphasise the transition from conscious to unconscious management: once the casualty collapses, start CPR immediately without checking for a pulse.
- 💡Incorporate infection control measures, such as using gloves and a pocket mask, and clearly indicate when you would do so in a real clinical situation.
- 💡Memorise the DRSABCD algorithm and practice verbalising it during assessments. Examiners look for a systematic approach—don't skip steps like checking for danger or calling for help.
- 💡Focus on compression quality: rate (100-120/min), depth (5-6 cm for adults), and full chest recoil. Many students lose marks for shallow compressions or leaning on the chest between compressions.
- 💡Know the age-specific differences: for infants, use two fingers for compressions (or two thumbs for two rescuers), and for children, use one or two hands depending on size. Be prepared to demonstrate these techniques.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Failing to check for response and breathing simultaneously during the initial assessment, leading to delayed recognition of abnormal breathing.
- Compressing too shallow or too fast on infant manikins due to hesitancy, and not allowing full chest recoil between compressions.
- Not fully opening the airway before delivering rescue breaths, resulting in ineffective ventilation despite visible effort.
- Delegating the call for emergency services too late, or failing to specify that a non-breathing casualty is involved, delaying advanced life support.
- Misconception: You should check for a pulse before starting CPR. Correction: In clinical practice, healthcare professionals may check for a pulse for no more than 10 seconds, but if unsure, start CPR immediately. Delaying CPR reduces survival chances.
- Misconception: Rescue breaths are always necessary. Correction: For adults, compression-only CPR (hands-only) is effective if the rescuer is unwilling or unable to give breaths. However, in clinical settings, rescue breaths are recommended, especially for children and infants, as cardiac arrest is often due to respiratory causes.
- Misconception: AEDs are only for adults. Correction: AEDs can be used on children over 1 year old with paediatric pads, and on infants under 1 year old with paediatric pads or a dose attenuator. If paediatric pads are unavailable, adult pads can be used (avoiding overlap).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for HIGHFIELD QUALIFICATIONS Basic Life Support for Adults, Children and Infants in Clinical Practice
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic understanding of human anatomy and physiology, particularly the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
- •Infection control principles, including standard precautions and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and face shields.
- •Communication skills for calling for help and coordinating with a team during a resuscitation attempt.
Coursework AI Review
Paste your assignment brief and check your draft against its P/M/D criteria
Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Be able to assess an emergency situation safely Be able to provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty who is not breathing normally Be able to provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty who is breathing normally Be able to provide first aid to a casualty who is choking
Ready to learn?
AI-powered learning tailored to this unit