Emergency First Aid
Often our first reaction to coming upon a serious injury is often excitable and confusing. To some extent, we tend to panic. Often all the things we have learned about first aid vanish.
Most of us react well to less serious medical problems or injuries. When a person gets a cut, or even when he falls and breaks an arm, it is easy to see and understand what is wrong and to handle it without great emotion or confusion. Panic happens most often when the victim is unconscious, dazed, or where there is a great deal of blood or serious disfigurement. In other words, when we don't know exactly what is wrong with the victim but suspect it is quite serious. This is what we will be addressing.
ABCDEF'S Principle
Good emergency first aid requires a priority response approach, you take care of the most life-threatening things first, then move to the less critical problems. One of the most common techniques to use is the ABCDEF'S principle;A = Airway and Cervical Spine
B = Breathing
C = Circulation - bleeding
D = Disability
E = Exposure and examine
F = Freezing (cold injury)
S = Shock
We should always include the "S" for shock, since it may be present in any serious injury or illness.
A = Check AIRWAY
Assessment of the CERVICAL SPINE is important. To determine the possibility of injury note how the injury happened, what the victim tells you, if conscious, and carefully feel the back for deformity or tenderness. Immobilize the neck with a cervical collar or improvised collar.
B = Be sure they are BREATHING
Look, listen and feel for breathing. Remember, they may only live four minutes if victim is not.Put your ear down next to their lips. Listen for breath, feel it on your ear or cheek, watch chest rise or fall. If victim is not breathing, start rescue breathing immediately.
C = Check CIRCULATION
Does victim have a pulse? The pulse in the neck (carotid pulse) is the easiest to check, because it is strongest and you can usually slip your fingers into the neck area without removing clothing and risking frostbite. If there is no pulse, and you have CPR training, start CPR. If their heart is beating and victim is breathing, then further assess his circulation by checking their nailbed refill.Blood pressure cannot be estimated easily, but you can determine if a person's blood pressure is low by checking his nailbed refill. Squeeze the victim's fingertip and nail between your own thumb and forefinger, release suddenly, and time how long it take the nail to turn from white to its normal pink colour. If it takes longer than about two seconds, it indicates that blood pressure is low. If hands are severely chilled, this may not be accurate.
Check for SEVERE BLEEDING (wearing latex or surgical gloves if possible) by sliding a hand under the victim, from head to toe, both sides, feeling for the wetness of blood. You must be sure that he is not bleeding badly from a point you cannot see. If he is bleeding badly, you must stop it.
D = Check for DISABILITY
E = EXPOSE and EXAMINE
F = Prevent FREEZING
Prevent freezing and exposure by keeping the victim warm. Cover them to keep him warm, and get something between them and the snow or the cold ground.Be sure that their hands and feet are protected. Protect victim from the wind and from moisture as soon as possible.
S = Prevent SHOCK.
Emergency Scene Management
Scene Survey - take control of the scene, get an idea of what has happened and what is going on, and get things organized so you can start helping any casualties
Primary Survey - assess each casualty for life-threatening injuries or illnesses and give the needed life-saving first aid
Secondary Survey - assess the casualty for injuries or illnesses that are not life threatening and give appropriate first aid; sometimes you don't have to do this
Ongoing Casualty Care - stay with the casualty until medical help arrives and takes over
These steps are always done in the order above, though sometimes you don't carry out the secondary survey.
First Aid Kit - Recommended Supplies
A well-stocked first aid kit is a handy thing to have. To be prepared for emergencies, keep a first aid kit in your home and in your car.First aid kits come in many shapes and sizes. You can purchase one or you may also make your own. Some kits are designed for specific activities, such as hiking, camping or boating.
Whether you buy a first aid kit or put one together yourself, make sure it has all the items you may need. Include any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers or other items your health-care provider may suggest.
Check the kit regularly. Make sure the flashlight batteries work. Check expiration dates and replace any used or out-of-date contents.
The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each
- 1 blanket (space blanket)
- 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- 1 instant cold compress
- 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
- Scissors
- 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
- 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
- Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
- 2 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- First aid instruction booklet
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Vehicle Emergency Survival Kit - Smaller
A smaller kit that includes the following items should be kept inside your car, for example in the space under the front passenger seat of your car:- Flashlight
- First-aid kit
- Blanket (special "survival" blankets are best)
- Sterile gauze
- Nonstick dressings
- Box of adhesive bandages
- Tape to secure dressings
- 2-3 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- First aid manual
- Scissors
- Safety pins
- Packaged alcohol
- Wipes
- Instant cold packs
- Reflective rescue blanket
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Vehicle Emergency Survival Kit - Trunk
You should keep an emergency survival kit in your vehicle at all times.Keep one kit in the trunk and make sure you include the following items:
- Shovel
- Traction mats
- Compass
- Warning light or road flares
- Emergency food pack
- Booster cables
- Road maps
- Matches and a "survival" candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
- Sand, salt or kitty litter
- Tow chain
- Cloth or roll of paper towels
- Extra clothing and footwear
- Axe or hatchet
- Ice scraper and brush
- Fire extinguisher
- Methyl hydrate (for fuel line and windshield de-icing)
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AAA 63 Piece Traveler Road Assistance Kit
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Emergency Roadside Kit in Canvas Bag
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Link List
- St. John Ambulance Canada
- A humanitarian organization offering first aid training, volunteering opportunities, medical supplies and safety information.
- American Red Cross - Health, Safety and Community Services
- The American Red Cross has provided health and safety services to the American public for almost a century.
- Canadian Red Cross
- The Canadian Red Cross offers a wide variety of First Aid and CPR training courses to help workplaces be compliant with both federal and provincial/territorial occupational health and safety legislation.
- Mayo Clinic
- First-Aid Guide - Learn how to give first aid in emergency situations; more than 50 topics covered.
Emergency First Aid Guides and Manuals on eBay
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