CPR 1 . Professor B. Spring Feb 15, 2012 .
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I. Introduction
a. There are two types of emergencies, situations that demand
immediate action, in particular we will focus on sudden illness and
injury.
i. Emergencies can further be classified as life-threatening and
non-life-threatening.
b. Recognizing Emergencies
i. Your primary role as a citizen responder in an emergency
includes first recognizing that an emergency exists.
ii. After having recognized the emergency, decide to act, take
action by calling 9-1-1 and continue to give care until help
arrives.
c. Overcoming barriers to action
i. The worst thing you can do in an emergency is to do nothing
and allow someone else to handle it.
ii. There are many reasons why people give to avoid helping
others, which are called barriers to action. They include (1)
presence of bystanders (2) uncertainty about the victim (3)
nature of the injury or illness (4) fear of disease transmission
(5) fear of doing something wrong.
II. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System
a. The EMS system is a network of resources to care for victims involved
in emergencies and as a citizen responder you have to activate this
network by calling 9-1-1, your local emergency number or you can
also dial “0” in some areas.
b. Six links in the EMS System
i. Citizen responder- layperson who recognizes an emergency
exists and decides to act.
ii. EMS Dispatch
iii. First responder- usually the first person on the scene who is
trained to provide a higher level of care (ex. Police officer)
iv. EMT- a person who has successfully completed a state
approved emergency medical technician training program
v. Hospital Care Providers
CPR 1 . Professor B. Spring Feb 15, 2012 .
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vi. Rehabilitation- return victims to his/her previous state of
health.
c. Closing
i. Calling 9-1-1 or the local emergency number is the most
important action you can take.
III. Emergency Action Steps
a. Check: The scene and the victim. If the scene is unsafe retreat and call
911
b. Call: 911 or local emergency number
c. Care: For the victim
IV. Call
a. As a citizen responder, one of your top priorities is to ensure that the
victim receives more advanced medical care as soon as possible.
b. If you are alone, CALL 911 FIRST, or the local emergency number
before you start to give care. This involved an unconscious adult
victim or adolescent age 12 years or older.
I. Preventing Disease Transmission
a. Always wash your hands for at least 10-15 seconds after each contact
with a person’s body fluids.
b. Four conditions must be present for a disease to be transmitted.
i. A pathogen (bacteria or virus) is present.
ii. Enough of the pathogen is present to cause infection.
iii. It must pass through an entry site.
iv. A person is susceptible to the pathogen.
c. Personal protective equipment is the equipment that helps keep you
from direct contact with infected materials.
II. Obtaining Consent to Give Care
a. You must tell the victim (1) who you are (2) your level of training (3)
the care you would like to give.
b. Do not give care to a conscious victim who refuses it, however, if the
victim is a infant or a child ask their supervising adult and if the
individual is unconscious or unable to respond because of illness or
injury, consent is implied.
III. Good Samaritan Laws
CPR 1 . Professor B. Spring Feb 15, 2012 .
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a. This is a law that protects citizen responders who are willing to
provide emergency care to injured or ill persons without accepting
anything in return.
IV. Reaching and moving victims
a. You should move a victim only when you can do so safely and when
there is an immediate danger.
b. Before you act, consider the following limitations to ensure moving
one or more victims quickly and safely: (1) Dangerous conditions at
the scene (2) The size of the victim (3) Your physical ability (4)
Whether others can help you (5) The victim’s condition.
c. Emergency moves
i. Four common types: (1) Walking assist (2) Pack-strap carry
(3) Two-person seat carry (4) Clothes drag.
ii. If you must move a victim be sure, to do so in a manner that is
safe for you and not going to cause the victim or you any harm.