First Aid
What Is First Aid?
Immediate, temporary care given
to a person who has become sick
or who has been injured
Takes place until proper medical
authority arrive
Emergency Action Plan
Primary Survey
3 C’s = Check, Call, Care
• Check – scene safety
You don’t want to
make more victims!
– Check the immediate surroundings for possible
dangers; move victim only if life is threatened
• Check victim...
– Check consciousness – gently tap and ask, “Are you
OK?”
– Check the victim for poisoning
Emergency Action Plan cont.
º Call
• Call 911 immediately if victim shows any life-threatening
conditions
• Answer 911 operator’s questions and follow directions
calmly and completely
º Care
• Be prepared to provide first aid
• Control severe bleeding
• Prepare to perform CPR
Making the Call to 911
• Give location of emergency (exact address, city or
town, nearby intersections, building #, floor, apt.)
• Telephone # from which call is being made
• Caller’s name
• What happened
• # of victims
• Condition of victims
• First aid given
Universal Precautions
• Be responsible – protect yourself and the victim!
• Wear disposable gloves if coming into contact
with body fluids
• Use a plastic face shield or mask with a one-way
valve
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water
after providing first aid
Shock
• Usually accompanies severe injury or emotional
upset
• Circulation system fails to send blood to all parts
of the body
Signs – ► cool, clammy skin ► pale face
►confusion ► nausea ► vomiting ► rapid
breathing
Choking
• When food or any other object becomes lodged
in a person’s airway, this person may choke
• Unless the object is dislodged within minutes,
the person can die
Signs: a person may bring one or both
hands to the throat, gasp for air or turn
blue
CPR = Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation
• When blood does not circulate, the brain and
other vital organs do not receive O2
Signs of a cardiac arrest
–Unconsciousness
–No signs of breathing
–No signs of circulation
CPR
• 2010 Guidelines
– C, A, B
(Compressions, Airway, Breathing)
– If not CPR certified, provide “Hands-Only” CPR
CPR Certified:
– Begin immediately with 30 compressions, 2” deep
– Open the airway, deliver 2 breaths
AED
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• An AED can check a person’s heart rhythm. It
can recognize a rhythm that requires a shock.
• It can advise the rescuer when a shock is needed.
• The AED uses voice prompts, lights and text
messages to tell the rescuer the steps to take.
Burns
• 1st Degree – superficial – top layers of skin ex.
Sunburn – takes 5-6 days to heal (use sunscreen
with an SPF of 15 or more)
• 2nd Degree – top several layers of skin, blisters
& blotchy – takes 3-4 weeks to heal
• 3rd Degree – destroys all layers of skin as well
as nerves, muscles, fat, and bones
Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke
• Heat Exhaustion – exposed to high temps
- Signs: skin that is cool, moist or pale, headache,
dizziness, nausea, heavy sweating, weakness
• Heat Stroke – body systems become so
overheated = stop functioning – life threatening
– Signs: confusion, red, hot, dry skin, shallow
breathing
Frostbite/Hypothermia
• Frostbite – freezing of body parts
* lack of feeling in the affected area, skin that
appears waxy or discolored and is cold to the
touch
• Hypothermia – body temp falls below 95°
* shivering, numbness or weakness, glassy
stare, confusion
Open Wounds - Bleeding
• Abrasion – damage to outer layers of skin
• Laceration – caused by a sharp object; deep cuts
result in heavy bleeding and may damage nerves,
blood vessels or soft tissue
• Puncture – wound caused by a pin, splinter, or
other pointed object piercing the skin
• Avulsion – tissue is separated partly
or completely from a person’s body
Dislocation - Fracture
• Dislocation – Displacement or separation of a bone
from its normal position at a joint
• Fracture – chip, crack, or break in bone
– Closed = skin intact
Open = piece of bone
sticks out through skin
symptoms: swelling, inability to move joint or
pain when moving, tenderness
Strains & Sprains
•Strain – muscles have been overworked
– Symptoms: dull pain that worsens with
movement, swelling
•Sprain – injury to tissues surrounding a
joint
– Symptoms: popping sound or tearing
sensation, swelling, tenderness, discoloration
Poison
Poisons can enter the body by 4 routes: Ingestion,
Inhalation, Injection, Absorption
• Ingestion – most swallowed poisons are household
cleaners and medications
• Inhalation: Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia
• Injected Poison – insect stings and bites
• Absorption – Plants and chemicals