What it means
A priority tool. A problem with the airwayAIR-wayThe passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.Full entry comes before a problem with breathing, and breathing comes before circulation, because each one depends on the one before it. A longer form, ABCDE, adds disability (neurologic status) and exposure. In CPR for cardiac arrest, the order is compressions first (CAB).
For the nurse
On the exam, use the ABCs together with Maslow's hierarchy and "acute before chronic" to pick which client to see or which action to take first.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | ABC |
|---|---|
| Also written | ABC |
Related terms
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Emergency chest compressions, with or without rescue breaths, to keep blood flowing when the heart has stopped.
respiration
Breathing air in and out, and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air, the blood and the cells.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
triage
Sorting clients by how urgently they need care, to decide who is seen first.