FIRST AID

Dangers? Ensure the area is safe for yourself and

others.
Responsive – Ask name, squeeze shoulders, introduce
yourself. What happened?
Send for help – Immediately call 000
Airway – Is it open? Tilt head back, lift chin. If
obstructed move to recovery position and clear.
Breathing? Are they breathing normally, look, listen,
feel.
CPR – Start CPR, 30 compressions: 2 breaths.
Defibrillator – Turn on attach sensors follow prompts.
- Must obtain consent
- Take notes of every action
- 4 minutes without oxygen causes damage.
- Do not tilt infants head during CPR, neutral.
- Remember chain of infection
- Remember chain of survival
Early access, CPR, de-fib and care.
- DFIB if patient not breathing and not responding
to CPR.
- During compressions, CROSS-t armpit/sternum.
- If about to faint, lie on back legs up.
Asthma
- Ask the patient if they have medication/an action plan.
- Help them sit in a comfortable position, and stay calm.
4 : 4 : 4: -> 1 puff, 4 breaths, repeat until 4 puffs, wait 4 minutes.

MILD TO MODERATE ASTHMA ATTACK

• increasingly soft to loud wheeze
• persistent cough
• minor to obvious difficulty breathing

ASTHMA EMERGENCY
• symptoms get worse very quickly
• little or no relief from inhaler
• severe shortness of breath, focused only on breathing
• unable to speak normally
• pallor, sweating
• progressively more anxious, subdued or panicky
• blue lips, face, earlobes, fingernails
• loss of consciousness

Bites & Stings

Snake Bites – Funnel Web - Cone Shell

- Apply a tight bandage over the bite site.
- Then apply a bandage all the way up the limb, in order to discourage the
venom from getting close to the heart.
- Immobilize, seek aid.

Box Jellyfish – Irukandji

- Flood the sting with vinegar for at least 30 seconds.
- Apply a cold pack
- Seek aid if symptoms severe

Blue bottle – Stingray – Sea urchin – Starfish

- Place stung area in HOT water for 20 minutes.
- Remove then reimmerse.
- Repeat until pain relieved.
Red Back – other Spiders – Bee/Wasp/Ant/Tick
- Apply cold pack for 15 minutes.
- Repeat until pain relieved.

Bleeding
000
- Stop ASAP, do not give food or drink in case of surgery, use gloves/protection.

- Lie the patient down, expose the wound

- Apply direct pressure
- Squeeze wound together, apply pad and wrap with bandage tight.
- Allow for circulation, monitor their breathing, change pads if need.
- If item embedded, wrap around.
- If bleeding cannot be controlled consider a tourniquet.

Burns

- DO NOT apply lotion or ice, do not touch, do not remove anything that’s
sticking.
- Run under cold water for 20 mins, remove clothing only if can.
- Apply a light, loose, clean, non-stick dressing.
- Seek aid.

Choking
- Relax and cough.
- 5 back thrusts, move the child’s position
- If not removed, 5 chest thrusts. Place hand on back and quick sharp thrust
with heel of hand just below sternum.
- 000, start CPR.

Infant:
- Place child on forearm, mouth downward.
- Hold mouth open, 5 back blows.
- If not, 5 chest thrusts.
- 000, start CPR.
Concussion

- If conscious, lie them down with head and shoulders raised.

- If Unconscious and suspect a spinal injury, carefully place in recovery position
supporting the head and back during the move.
- Call 000
- Do not resume sport, get checked out.

DIABETIC

Hyperglycemic (HBS) > Do they have medication, drink fluids, seek aid if
worsens.

Hypoglycemic (LBS) > Sit comfortably, remove tight clothing, give them sugar
(not zero) jellybeans, coke, juice. Continue every 15, follow with carbs.

Electric Shock

- Check for danger, switch off power, do not touch or go near cables, avoid
water, use a dry non-conducive material (wooden broom)
- If you can remove the patient do so.
- Check for burns, clean and dress.
- Check for breathing difficulty, weak pulse, loss of consciousness, or cardiac
arrest > 000, start CPR.
- Seek aid.

Epileptic Seizure
DURING:
- if they have vomited or food in mouth but in recovery position.
- ensure the patient doesn’t hurt themselves by removing any close objects.
- do not restrain but protect head by placing soft item under.
- time the seizure
AFTER:
- put in recovery position
- check breathing
- keep them calm and safe
CALL 000: If seizure lasts 5 minutes, if seizure resumes, if patient stays
unconscious for more than 5 minutes afterwards, if injury occurred, if it’s their
first seizure.

Fractures/Dislocations

- DO NOT force back into place

- Control bleeding, immobilize and place a splint
- Hold with bandage above and below injury site.
- Allow circulation, seek aid.

Heart Attack

Symptoms:
- Chest pain > tightness, heaviness, squeezing.
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Cold sweat.

- Immediately stop activity, sit or lie down.

- Loosen tight clothing
- Describe symptoms, if they are severe, get worse, or last more than 10 mins
- Call 000
- Can they take aspirin?
- Be ready to start CPR.

HEAT
- Move to cool place with circulation air
- Sit or lie down, remove clothing.
- Apply cold pack to neck, groin, armpits. Cover with wet sheet and fan.
- Give water.
Hypothermia
- Move to a warm dry place.
- Lie down, avoid any excess activity.
- Remove wet clothing, place them between blankets and wrap.
- Cover head.
- Warm drink, hot water bottles, body to body contact.
- Monitor heart rate.

POISON
- Wash substance off face/mouth, find out what was ingested.
- Call 000
- Call Poison Info Centre: 13, 11, 26 > follow advice
- If drowsy put in recovery position and monitor airway
- Send vomit, containers or suicide note with patient to hospital.

Anaphylaxis
- Do not stand or walk, sit or lie down.
- If they have an epi-pen, use immediately.
> Form a fist, remove blue safety cap, hold leg still and stab with orange end
hold 3 seconds.
- Call 000
* Adrenaline will only last 20 minutes, do not move, wait for ambulance.

SHOCK
- Lie patient down, reassure and calm them, loosen tight clothing, keep warm,
give water (if no abdominal pain or likely surgery), place in recovery position if
vomiting difficulty breathing or unconscious.

Spinal Injury
- IF unconscious as result of head injury, always suspect spinal injury.
- Do not move unless in danger.
- Unconscious but breathing, place in recovery position very carefully and
support head at all times.
- If conscious and breathing don’t move, hold head and neck steady.
- Wait for 000
Sprain/Strain

R – rest the patient and the injured part.

I – ice for 15 mins every two hours
C – compression bandage firm and well beyond injury
E – elevate

AVOID: Heat, Running, Alcohol & Massage.

STROKE

F – Has their FACE drooped?

A – Can they lift both ARMS?
S – Is their SPEECH slurred/assym smile? Can they understand?
T – TIME is critical, call 000, sit or lie down and reassure patient.
Four aims of first aid
1. Protect life
2. Prevent further deterioration
3. Promote recovery
4. Preserve life

112 – international standard emergency number

Before providing first aid one must obtain consent, to give care against the patients wishes
is considered medical trespass.

Take steps to maintain privacy and confidentiality

Take detailed notes of the first aid given: time, date, location, the scene, actions, changes,
witnesses. Sign and date

Standard resting heart rate for an adult 60-100

4-6 mins without oxygen can cause permanent brain damage

a child’s trachea is the diameter of a pencil, shorter and softer, tilting the head during CPR
may result in airway collapse like kinking a garden hose

Causes of unconsciousness
- low oxygen to brain, heart and circulation issues, metabolic problems, brain problems.
- symptoms: yawning, dizziness, sweating, confusion, blurred vision and speech, nausea

The chain of infection

- infectious agent
- reservoir
- portal of exit
- mode of transmission
- portal of entry
- susceptible host

Dangers – check, personal safety is key

Responsivenes
Send
Airway
Breathing
Cpr
Defibrilation

COWS: can you hear me, open your eyes, what is your name, squeeze my hand
- squeeze shoulders for response – no response or groaning without eyes open should be
managed as unconscious
Children and adults head tilt, infants head neutral > Airway Management
- look, listen and feel
- if breathing, return to recovery position
- IF NOT or not effextively, begin CPR
* Gasping is not breathing, often occurs in heart attacks

CPR 2 fingers for infants, full two hands for adults

- arms straight, wrists locked, press down 1/3 of chest depth then release, give 30
compressions then 2 rescue breaths and repeat
- placed on back on firm surface
- only stop compressions and roll to side if regurgitation occurs
- allow for compelte recoil after compression
- don’t go beyond lower sternum
- changeover whose giving CPR every 2 mins
- head tilt back use CPR mask
- one hand on forehead one holding back chin, block casualties nose
- for infants, neutral position
- thumb and forefinger to open mouth, make a firm mouth seal, breathe in, exhale, visually
look for chest rise

Recovery Position
- Place on side, both arms resting away from you, one over face, top leg lift knee and bend
- if injuries allow turn to other side after 30 minutes
- for infant (< 1 yr) cradle with head tilted down, fingers supporting neck and jaw

Heart Attack
- central chest pain that radiates to shoulders, neck, jaw
- discomfort, tightness, heaviness, squeezing, dull pain, shortness of breath and lethargy
- pale cool skin
- sweating
- strained and rapid breathing
- loss of consciousness
- vomiting
- dizziness
- women have very atypical symptoms

Angina ie inadquete blood flow, is not happening at rest

^ similar symptoms but not as bad, stop activity and focus on slowing down

Heart attacks are caused by blockages that stop blood flow and MAY CAUSE cardiac arrest.
Which is when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions often caused by arrhythmias (like
ventricular fibirlation)

Chain of survival
- Early access: recognizing a person is unconscious or not breathing and needs medical help
- Early CPR: within the first 2-3 minutes to improve chances of surivical. Brain cells die after
4 mins without oxygen and is irreversible.
- Early Defribulation: an AED has a computer and sensor which can detect if patient needs
dfib. Every minute this is inaccessible decreases surivival by 10%.
Only apply if casualty isn’t breathing
one pad upper right one pad lower left, sensor pads
for child if pads are too large place one on front one on back
- Early advanced care: ie the sooner the ambo comes the better survival call 000
immediately

Positional Aspyhxia, ie the persons position is causing them to not breath

If a patient looks about to faint, lie them on their back with legs up