What Am I Assessing?
Recognize sudden or concerning changes that may indicate a medical emergency.
ABCs:
- Airway: Is the airway open?
- Breathing: Is the patient breathing normally?
- Circulation: Are there signs of severe bleeding or inadequate circulation?
What Should I Look For?
Signs (Objective):
- Excessive bleeding.
- Abnormally fast or slow breathing.
- Abnormal heart rate or blood pressure.
- Unresponsiveness.
- Sudden changes in mental status.
Symptoms (Subjective): - Chest pain or pressure.
- Difficulty breathing or throat tightness.
- Numbness or tingling.
- Nausea.
- Sudden visual disturbances.
Stroke Recognition — BE FAST
Use BE FAST to recognize common warning signs of stroke:
- B — Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination.
- E — Eyes: Sudden vision loss or visual disturbance.
- F — Face: Facial drooping or asymmetry.
- A — Arms: Sudden arm weakness, especially on one side.
- S — Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding language.
- T — Time: Activate emergency response immediately and note when symptoms began or when the person was last known to be well.
Important: Stroke-like symptoms remain an emergency even if they disappear. Do not wait to see whether they improve.
What Could It Mean?
- Airway obstruction or respiratory distress.
- Cardiac or circulatory emergency.
- Neurological emergency.
- Shock or significant blood loss.
- Other acute medical deterioration.
What Should I Do?
- Ensure scene safety.
- Recognize potentially life-threatening changes.
- Activate the emergency response system when indicated.
- Notify the nurse immediately.
- Provide emergency assistance within training and authorization.
- Remain with the patient when safe and communicate observations.
Related
- Cardiac Arrest & CPR Response
- Choking & Airway Obstruction
- Bleeding, Shock & Injury Response
- Emergency Preparedness & Response
Sources
- CNA Module 12 — Emergency Procedures
- American Heart Association — 2025 Adult Basic Life Support Guidelines
- CDC — Signs and Symptoms of Stroke
- Facility rapid-response and emergency-activation procedures (verify at clinical site)
Flashcards
What are the ABCs of emergency observation?03-application / assessment
Answer
Airway, breathing, circulation.
What should a CNA do when a resident has sudden life-threatening symptoms?03-application / assessment
Answer
Activate emergency response, notify the nurse, assist within training.
What does BE FAST stand for in stroke recognition?01-foundations / assessment
Answer
Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time.
What should a CNA do when a resident develops sudden stroke-like symptoms?03-application / assessment
Answer
Activate emergency response immediately, even if symptoms resolve.