First Aid
Grace Sroka
Squad
Leader
Advanced
Writing
Student
15OCT14
08
OCT 2014
Unclassified
Purpose
To discuss first aid techniques in a
combat setting, in order to prepare soldiers with
the necessary skills.
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Resources
• Amazon.com. [Medical corps insignia]. Retrieved from http://www.ama
zon.com/United-Army-Medical-Insignia-Sticker/dp/B00B29TYP0.
• Amazon.com. [Nurse corps insignia]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon
.com/United-States-Army-Insignia-Sticker/dp/tech-data/ B00B29U
0WG.
• Coleman’s Military Surplus. [Field Dressing]. Retrieved from http://store.
colemans.com/cart/us-gi-camouflaged-first-aid-field-dressing-10-48-or-144pack-p-2747.html.
• EC21. (1997-2014). [Oropharyngeal Airway]. Retrieved from
http://oralairway.en.ec21.com/Oropharyngeal_Airway_OPA-3090412_3090427.html.
• FM 4-25.11, First Aid, Dec. 2012
• The EMT Spot. (2014). [Nasopharyngeal Airway]. Retrieved from
http://theemtspot.com/2009/12/08/the-art-of-the-nasopharyngealairway/.
• U.S. Army Medical Department. (2013). [Combat Medic insignia]. Retrieved
from http://amed dregiment.amedd.army.mil/heraldic/combat.html.
• Wilderness Survival Forums. (2014). [Digital Pressure Points]. Retrieved
from http://www.wildernesssurvival.net/forums/showthread .php?9
Unclassified190-Basic-bleeding-control.
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Outline (1 of 3)
• Really Bad Boys Should Find Better Habits
• Responsiveness
• Breathing
• Bleeding
• Field Dressing
• Other Types of Dressings
• Pressure Points
• Tourniquet
• How to Apply a Tourniquet
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Outline (2 of 3)
• Chest Wounds
• Shock
• Treating Shock
• Fractures
• Treating Fractures
• Burns
• Treating Burns
• Chemical Burns
• Head Injury
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Outline (3 of 3)
• Heat Injuries (1 of 2)
• Heat Injuries (2 of 2)
• Cold Injuries (1 of 2)
• Cold Injuries (2 of 2)
• Summary
• Conclusion
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Really Bad Boys Should Find
Better Habits
• Establish security
• Responsiveness
• Breathing
• Bleeding
• Shock
• Fractures
• Burns
• Head Injury
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Responsiveness
• Ask casualty if okay, gently shake
• Talk to them to figure out the problem
• Begin appropriate first aid measure if conscious &
choking
□ Cautiously position casualty on his/her back
□ Check for obstruction; most common is
tongue
□ Encourage cough if possible
□ Deliver abdominal or chest thrusts if
poor air exchange
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Breathing
• Check for breathing
□ Place your ear to their mouth
□ Look for rise and fall of the chest
□ Listen/feel for breathes
• Check the pulse
• Stop and apply first aid if not breathing
□ Head-tilt/Chin-lift
□ Jaw thrust
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Breathing
• Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA)
□ Lubricate NPA
□ Insert with bevel facing the septum
□ Push gently, do not force tube in
□ Put casualty in the recovery position if does not fit
• Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA)
□ Use the head-tilt/chin-lift or jaw thrust
□ Place tube into airway through mouth
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Bleeding
• Look for any bleeding spots
□ Check for entry and exit wounds; exit wounds
usually larger
□ Slide flattened hands underneath to check for more
bleeding
• Begin appropriate first aid if the casualty is bleeding
□ Cut off clothing to expose wound area, any clothing
stuck should be left there.
□ DO NOT pull objects out (clothing, foreign objects,
bullet, etc.) or touch the wound.
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Bleeding
• Field Dressing
□ Use casualty’s field dressing
□ Remove from wrapper, holding tails of dressing
□ Hold over wound, white side down
□ Use other hand to wrap one tail around wound and knot
□ Wrap the other tail in the opposite direction
• If bleeding continues, apply pressure for 5-10 minutes and
elevate the limb
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Bleeding
• Pressure Dressing
□ Place padding on top of field dressing
□ Place improvised dressing over padding
□ Wrap and knot it
□ Keep blood flow; this is NOT a tourniquet
• Digital Pressure
□ Pressure points can control bleeding
□ Sites where an artery lies near skin or over
bone
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Pressure Points
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Bleeding
• Tourniquet
□ Applied to control bleeding; last resort
□ Used even if amputation not bleeding
□ Contracted blood vessels is body’s natural response
□ Placed as close to MEDIAL joint as possible
□ Ex. The casualty’s arm was amputated below the
elbow, the tourniquet will be placed as close to
the shoulder as possible
• Protect skin if possible by keeping material flat
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Bleeding
• How to Apply a Tourniquet
□ Tie a half knot
□ Place rigid object over knot
□ Tie full knot over object
□ Twist object until tourniquet is tight and bright red
bleeding has stopped
□ Loop ends of tourniquet around stick/limb and tie
□ Cover wound underneath with a dressing to prevent
infection
• Write “T” on casualty’s forehead and the time
• DO NOT COVER TOURNIQUET
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Bleeding
• Chest Wounds
□ Signs/Symptoms-chest/shoulder pain, difficulty
breathing, coughing blood, obvious trauma to chest
□ Sign of air leak into chest cavity is a sucking
sound when breathing; can collapse the lung
• Open field dressing and place wrapper over wound
when casualty exhales
□ Place the dressing on top
□ Position casualty on injured side
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Shock
• Decrease in blood volume, cardiovascular collapse
• Signs/Symptoms:
□ Sweaty, cool, pale skin or blotchy, blue skin
□ Restless/Nervous
□ Thirst
□ Blood Loss
□ Confusion
□ Tachypnea
□ Nausea/Vomiting
• If symptoms, stop and take appropriate
measures
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Treating Shock
• Move casualty to cover, laying on back
• Elevate feet higher than heart
• Loosen clothing
• Maintain body temperature
□ In cold weather, use blankets
□ In warm weather, place in shade, but don’t
use blankets
• Do not give food or drink
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Fractures
• Signs/Symptoms of back or neck injury:
□ Pain/tenderness in the area
□ Cuts or bruises
□ Paralysis or numbness
□ Unusual body position
• Open Fractures
□ Bleeding
□ Protruding bones
• Closed Fractures: broken bone does not break skin
□ Swelling
□ Discoloration and deformity
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Treating Fractures
• Immobilization
□ Splint in position found, one on each side
□ Padding where splint will touch bony prominences
□ Bandage secures splint above and below fracture
□ Slings
• Check circulation below injury
• Make sure splint is not having a tourniquet
effect
• Place roll under lumbar region or neck if suspected
spine or neck injury
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Burns
• Reddened, blistered, charred skin/singed clothing
• Upper body burns can cause respiratory distress
• Four Types of Burns
□ Thermal: fire, hot objects/liquids/gases,
nuclear blast/fireballs
□ Electrical: wires, current, lightening
□ Chemical: wet/dry chemicals, white
phosphorous (WP)
□ Laser
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Treating Burns
• Remove source of the burn
• Cover thermal burn with non-synthetic material
• Roll casualty on ground to smother flames
• Turn off electricity if possible
• Use non-conductor to knock casualty away from
source
• Look for both entry and exit burn
• Expose burn and remove jewelry if possible
• Apply field dressing
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Chemical Burns
• Flush liquid chemicals with as much water as
possible
• DO NOT apply water if not enough available
• Brush off loose particles if dry chemicals and then
flush
• Smother with wet cloth of mud and keep the area
covered with wet material if WP
• Leave protective clothing on and put dressing
over it
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Head Injuries
• Don’t move casualty unless in danger
• Assume spinal cord injury
• Signs/Symptoms
□ Nausea/Vomiting
□ Convulsions/Twitching
□ Slurred Speech/Confusion/Memory loss
□ Headache/Dizziness/Drowsiness/unconscious
□ Blurred vision, bruised eyes
□ Paralysis/Staggered walk
□ Bleeding/discharge/deformity of head
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Heat Injuries (1 of 2)
• Heat Cramps – electrolyte imbalance
□ Cramping and excessive sweating
□ Tx: Move casualty to shade, loosen clothing, slowly drink water
• Heat Exhaustion
□ Excessive sweating with pale, cool skin/chills
□ Headache/Dizziness/Confusion
□ Weakness/Tingling in hands and feet
□ Nausea/Cramping/Loss of appetite
□ Urge to defecate
□ Tachypnea
□ Tx: Poor water on casualty while fanning, elevate legs, prevent
physical activity, and monitor
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Heat Injuries (2 of 2)
Heat Stroke
□ Red, hot, dry skin
□ Weakness
□ Headaches/Dizziness/Confusion
□ Seizures
□ Nausea/Stomach pains or cramps
□ Rapid, weak respirations/pulse
□ Unconsciousness
□ Treat like other two and massage extremities, slowly
drink water, seek medical assistance
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Cold Injuries (1 of 2)
• Signs/Symptoms
□ Numbness/tingling if superficial cold injury
□ Affected area feels very heavy if deep cold injury
(frostbite)
□ Discoloration of skin (red then pale)
□ Cold to touch
□ Swelling
□ Blisters after rewarming area
• If superficial, rewarm area
• Do not massage, expose to fire/stove, rub with
snow, slap, chafe, or soak in cold water
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Cold Injuries (2 of 2)
• Immersion Syndrome (Trench Foot)
□ Starts cold/numb, becomes hot with shooting pains, and
then pale blue with decreased pulse
□ Tx: Dry and rewarm gradually with warm air, cover with
loose warm coverings, and elevate
• Frostbite
□ Numb, red or pale/yellowish skin, blisters,
swelling/tenderness, feels solid to touch
□ Tx: Cover area with warm skin (hands, armpits, etc.)
• Hypothermia
□ Shivering, faint pulse, mentally slow, slurred speech,
glassy eyes, breathing shallow
□ Tx: Rewarm body, dry clothing, sleeping bag
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Summary
• Really Bad Boys Should Find Better Habits
□ Responsiveness
□ Breathing
□ Bleeding
□ Shock
□ Fractures
□ Burns
□ Head Injuries
• Heat Injuries – Heat Cramps, Exhaustion, and Stroke
• Cold Injuries – Trench Foot, Frostbite, and
Hypothermia
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Conclusion
“I tend to the physical and psychological wounds of
our Warriors…”
The Medic Creed
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