CAB is an acronym with several widely used meanings depending on the context. The most common include Circulation, Airway, Breathing in emergency medicine; Change Advisory Board in IT; Civil Aeronautics Board in U.S. aviation history; and Citizens Advice Bureau in the UK. Here’s what each one means and why it matters.
CPR and Emergency Medicine: Circulation, Airway, Breathing
In first aid and emergency response, CAB stands for Circulation, Airway, Breathing. It describes the order of steps you should follow when performing CPR on someone in cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association adopted this sequence in 2010, replacing the older ABC (Airway, Breathing, Compressions) approach that had been standard for decades.
The switch happened because chest compressions are the single most important part of cardiac arrest management. Under the old ABC method, rescuers would spend valuable seconds tilting the head back and attempting rescue breaths before starting compressions. The new CAB order puts compressions first, getting blood flowing to the brain and heart as quickly as possible.
In practice, CAB works like this:
- C (Circulation): Start chest compressions immediately. For adults, push at least 2 inches deep at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
- A (Airway): After 30 compressions, tilt the person’s head back and lift the chin to open the airway.
- B (Breathing): Give two rescue breaths, then return to compressions.
If you remember only one part of CAB, it’s the C. Hands-only CPR with continuous chest compressions, even without rescue breaths, dramatically improves survival rates for bystander-witnessed cardiac arrest.
IT and Business: Change Advisory Board
In IT service management, CAB stands for Change Advisory Board. This is a group of people within an organization responsible for evaluating proposed changes to IT systems, assessing the risks involved, and recommending whether those changes should go forward.
A CAB typically includes IT managers, technical specialists, and sometimes business stakeholders. Their job is to review change requests, weigh the potential consequences against available resources, and produce documentation so the rest of the organization understands what’s changing and why. They also monitor changes after implementation to see what worked and what didn’t, then refine the process for next time. The concept comes from the ITIL framework, a set of best practices widely used in corporate IT departments.
U.S. Aviation: Civil Aeronautics Board
The Civil Aeronautics Board was a U.S. federal agency that regulated the airline industry for decades. It controlled which airlines could fly which routes, set ticket prices, and enforced aviation safety standards. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 gradually phased out the CAB, and the agency officially ceased operations in 1985. Its remaining responsibilities were transferred to other agencies, primarily the Department of Transportation. If you encounter CAB in a history or policy context, this is almost always what it refers to.
United Kingdom: Citizens Advice Bureau
In the UK, CAB stands for Citizens Advice Bureau, a network of charitable organizations that provide free, confidential advice on legal, financial, and consumer issues. If you’re dealing with housing problems, debt, employment disputes, or benefits questions, your local CAB office can help you understand your rights and options. Services are available in person, by phone, and by email. The network has since rebranded to simply “Citizens Advice,” but many people still use the CAB abbreviation.
Computing: Cabinet File
In software and computing, a .CAB file is a Microsoft cabinet file, which is a compressed archive containing multiple files bundled together. Think of it like a ZIP file. Windows installation packages and software updates have historically used the .CAB format to group files, reduce their size, and make distribution faster. If you’ve ever seen a file ending in .cab on your computer, it’s this type of compressed archive. You’ll encounter them most often when installing drivers or extracting Windows system files.
Less Common Uses
CAB occasionally appears in other contexts. In medical writing, you may see it as a shorthand for coronary artery bypass, though the standard abbreviation for that surgery is CABG (coronary artery bypass graft). In older construction and building materials, CAB can refer to cement asbestos board, a building product made from cement mixed with asbestos fibers. This material was widely used before the health risks of asbestos were fully understood. Intact cement asbestos board is not considered a significant hazard, but cutting, sanding, or grinding it releases dangerous fibers that can cause serious lung disease years after exposure.