Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:5:117-21.
doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S28478. Epub 2012 Jan 31.

Initial assessment and treatment with the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach

Troels Thim  1 , Niels Henrik Vinther Krarup, Erik Lerkevang Grove, Claus Valter Rohde, Bo Løfgren
Affiliations

Initial assessment and treatment with the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach

Troels Thim et al. Int J Gen Med. 2012.

Abstract

The Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach is applicable in all clinical emergencies for immediate assessment and treatment. The approach is widely accepted by experts in emergency medicine and likely improves outcomes by helping health care professionals focusing on the most life-threatening clinical problems. In an acute setting, high-quality ABCDE skills among all treating team members can save valuable time and improve team performance. Dissemination of knowledge and skills related to the ABCDE approach are therefore needed. This paper offers a practical "how-to" description of the ABCDE approach.

Keywords: emergency medicine; general medicine; internal medicine; multiple injury; multiple trauma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The ABCDE approach without the use of equipment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Head-tilt and chin-lift to open the airway.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Thim T, Krarup NH, Grove EL, Lofgren B. ABCDE – a systematic approach to critically ill patients. Ugeskr Laeger. 2010;172(47):3264–3266. - PubMed
    1. Guly HR. ABCDEs. Emerg Med J. 2003;20(4):358. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Featherstone P, Smith GB, Linnell M, Easton S, Osgood VM. Impact of a one-day inter-professional course (ALERT) on attitudes and confidence in managing critically ill adult patients. Resuscitation. 2005;65(3):329–336. - PubMed
    1. Moretti MA, Cesar LA, Nusbacher A, Kern KB, Timerman S, Ramires JA. Advanced cardiac life support training improves long-term survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2007;72(3):458–465. - PubMed
    1. Rivers E, Nguyen B, Havstad S, et al. Early goal-directed therapy in the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock. N Engl J Med. 2001;345(19):1368–1377. - PubMed