What it means
For a person in cardiac arrest, chest compressions come first, then opening the airway, then rescue breaths, because getting blood moving to the brain and heart matters most and should not be delayed. It replaced the older ABC order for CPR in 2010. CAB can also stand for coronary artery bypass in surgical notes.
For the nurse
On the exam, CAB applies to a client without a pulse. For a client who is breathing and has a pulse, the usual priority order is still airway, breathing, circulation.
Related terms
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Emergency chest compressions, with or without rescue breaths, to keep blood flowing when the heart has stopped.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
code blue
A hospital emergency call that brings the resuscitation team to a person whose heart or breathing has stopped.