What is the primary purpose of Basic Life Support (BLS)?

The primary purpose of Basic Life Support (BLS) is to maintain circulation and oxygenation to vital organs until advanced medical help arrives. This foundational principle emphasizes the importance of ensuring that critical life functions, such as blood flow and respiration, are sustained in an emergency situation. BLS techniques, including chest compressions and rescue breaths, are designed to effectively support the heart and lungs when a person is experiencing cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. By preserving these vital functions, BLS increases the chances of survival and can help prevent irreversible damage to organs until more advanced care can be administered.

The other options, while important in their own right, do not represent the primary aim of BLS. For instance, advanced surgical interventions fall outside the scope of BLS, which focuses on basic, life-saving techniques. Similarly, diagnosing medical conditions is beyond the intent of BLS—its purpose is to act immediately to sustain life rather than to assess underlying conditions. Providing psychological support is also important, yet it is not the main focus of BLS, which is strictly concerned with physical stabilization and intervention in life-threatening situations.