Alphabetical ABC use without context
NCLEX-RN glossary · Management Of Care
Definition
The reflexive application of the Airway-Breathing-Circulation priority rule while ignoring the specific clinical mechanism or stability of the client.
Alphabetical ABC use without context in plain English
Safe judgment requires adapting the rule (e.g., using C-A-B for massive exsanguination or cardiac arrest). A frequent error is selecting an 'Airway' intervention for a stable client over a life-threatening 'Circulation' cue in an unstable client.
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