First Aid Emergency Action Principles

1. Survey the Scene

Once you recognize that an emergency has occurred and decided to act, you
must make sure that emergency scene is safe for you and any bystanders.
Take time to survey the scene and answer these questions:
Is this scene safe?
When you survey the scene, look for anything that may threaten your safety and that of
the victim and bystanders.

What happened?
Find out what happened. Look around for clues about what caused the emergency and
the type and extent of the victim's injuries.

How many people are injured?

Know how many persons are injured so you will know how to manage your time.

Are there companions that can help?

If
you
find
more
than
one
victim,
ask
bystanders
for
help.
Look for bystanders who can help or who can help or who may be able to tell you what
happened or help in other ways.

3.Activate Medical Assistance

In some emergencies, you will have enough time to call for specific medical
advice before administering first aid. But in some situations, you will need to
attend to the victim first.

Call First
If the victim is not in a life threatening situation and there is plenty of time to first aid.

First Aid First

If the victim is in a life threatening situation.

Information
Assistance:

to

be

remembered

-What happened?
-Location.
-Number of persons injured.
-Extent of injury and first aid given.
-The telephone number from where you are calling.
-Identify yourself.

in

Activating

Medical

2. Initial Assesment of the Victim

In every emergency situation, you must first find out if there are
conditions that are immediate threat to the victims life.

Check for CONSCIOUSNESS:

Alert-The patient is fully awake (although not necessarily oriented). This
patient will have spontaneously open eyes, will respond to voice (although may
be confused) and will have bodily motor function.
Verbal-The patient makes some kind of response when you talk to them,
which could be in any of the three component measures of eyes, voice or motor
- e.g. patient's eyes open on being asked "Are you OK?". The response could be
as little as a grunt, moan, or slight move of a limb when prompted by the voice
of the rescuer.
Painful-The patient makes a response on any of the three component
measures on the application of pain stimulus, such as a central pain stimulus
like a sternal rubor a peripheral stimulus such as squeezing the fingers. A
patient with some level of consciousness (a fully conscious patient would not
require a pain stimulus) may respond by using their voice, moving their eyes, or
moving part of their body (including abnormal posturing).
Unresponsive- Sometimes seen noted as 'Unconscious', this outcome is
recorded if the patient does not give any eye, voice or motor response to voice
or pain.

4.Primary Survey of the Victim

is a quick way for you to find out if someone has any injuries or
conditions which are life-threatening. If you follow each step
methodically, you can identify each life-threatening condition and deal
with it in order of priority.

Check for:
Airway: Is it open? Minimize neck movement as much as possible; apply
cervical collar if available
Breathing: Is the victim breathing? Look, listen, feel. Rescue breathing if
necessary.
Circulation: Is there a carotid pulse? Is there severe bleeding? CPR if
necessary

5.Do a Secondary Survey of the Victim

It is a systematic method of gathering additional information about the
injuries or condition that may need care.
Interview the Vctim (SAMPLE)
Check for:

S-signs and symptoms

A-allergies

M-medications

P-past medical history

L-last meal taken

E-events prior to injury

Do a head to toe Examination:

D-deformity
C-contusion

 A-abrasion
P-puncture
B-burn
T-tenderness
L-laceration
S-swelling

Check the victims vital signs

Skin temperature, moisture, and color: Examination of the

skin furnishes important clues regarding oxygenation, general body stress,
and the status of circulation to the skin. However, in dark-skinned people,
skin pigment may mask color changes, and examination of the whites of
the eyes or the nailbeds may be Field Manual for the U.S. Antarctic
Program 278 more reliable. Red skin can be a sign of high altitude
problems or advanced carbon monoxide poisoning. Hypothermia may
produce pale or bluish, cold, dry skin. Bluish skin (cyanosis) is a sign of
inadequate oxygen in the blood. An illness or injury that stimulates a
stress response from the sympathetic nervous system leading to increased
heart rate and increased sweating is indicated by pale, clammy, cold skin.

Capillary refill: Using the thumb and forefinger, squeeze a finger or

tip of toe until the nail blanches, then release the pressure. The tissue
under the nail should return to their normal pink color within two
seconds.

Reaction of the pupils: The pupils are normally round and equal
to each other in diameter. Unequal pupils (one pupil normal while the
other is dilated) frequently indicates a serious injury involving the brain
on the same side as the dilated pupil. However, it is normal for some
individuals, so if you see it in a victim ask them if this is normal. The
pupils are the windows to the brain. Patients who are in cardiac arrest

generally have dilated pupils that do not constrict in response to bright

light. The pupillary response to light is also lost after death.