American Red Cross

First Aid
and
CPR -- Adult

Lesson One
Introduction Before Giving Care

Key Points
Purpose:
Help participants identify and eliminate
potentially hazardous conditions.
Recognize and make appropriate decisions for
first aid care.
This course teaches skills
needed to give immediate
care until more advanced
medical care arrives.

Recognizing and Responding to

an Emergency
Key points:
By recognizing an
emergency and taking
immediate action to help,
you will provide the best
chance for survival
Emergencies can often be recognized
because of an unusual sight, appearances,
behaviors, odors, or noises.

Using Senses to Recognize

Emergencies
Unusual sights

Blood
Smoke or fire
Broken items
People milling around

Unusual Appearances or
Behaviors

One who is noticeably uncomfortable

One who is clutches his / her chest or throat
One who is unconscious
One who appears to be confused or drowsy
for unknown reasons
One who has trouble breathing

Unusual Odors

Unusual odors of the persons breath

Gasoline
Natural gas
Smoke
An unrecognizable smell

Unusual Noises

Screaming
Sudden silence for infants or children
An explosion
Items falling
Tires screeching
Metal Crashing
Changes in machinery sounds (e.g., pitch,
tone)
Breaking Glass

Overcoming
Barriers to Act

Presence of others
Uncertainty about the persons condition
Fear of catching a disease
Fear of doing something wrong
Fear of being sued
Being unsure of when to call 911

Good Samaritan Laws

Enacted to protect people who voluntarily
give emergency care, without accepting
anything in return.
Laws protect you as long as you
Act in good faith
Are not negligent
Act within the scope of your training

Obtaining Consent
You MUST obtain permission to help
If one refuses care, call 911
If unconscious, confused or seriously ill &
not able to grant consent, the consent is
implied.

Obtaining Consent
If a minor, get consent from parent or
guardian ASAP
Implied consent for a child means the
parent or guardian would agree for care to
be given

 To Obtain Consent

State your name

Tell the person you are trained in first aid
Ask the person if you can help
Explain what you think might be wrong
Explain what you plan to do

Preventing Disease
Transmission
Avoid contact with:
Blood
Body fluids

Use PPE such as:

Gloves
CPR barriers

Wash hands immediately after care

 Key Points
The risk of getting a disease is extremely rare:
Taking precautions can reduce this even further
Whenever possible, you should use Universal
Precautions

Emergency Action Steps

Key Points:
Follow the emergency
action steps:
CHECK
CALL
CARE

Check the scene for safety

Check the person for life-threatening conditions
Call 911
Care for the ill or injured person

 If alone, call first or care first

Call first:

Cardiac emergencies
Unconscious adult
Witnessed sudden collapse of infant or child
Unconscious infant or child with known heart
problems

Care first:
Breathing emergencies
2 minutes of care then call 911
Unwitnessed collapse of someone under 12 yrs of age
Any victim of drowning

 Moving a person can lead to further injury.

You should move a person only when safe
to do so or if there is immediate danger.

Lesson 2
Checking an Ill
or
Injured Person

Life Threatening Injuries/Illness

Unconsciousness
Not breathing or having trouble breathing
Choking
Persistent chest pain
No signs of life (normal breathing or
movement)
Severe bleeding
Shock
Seizures (that recur, last more than 5 min.)

Checking a Conscious Adult

Key Points
Adult: over 12 years of age
After checking the scene for safety, check the
adult
Obtain consent to give care
Head to toe examination
Care based on conditions found
Take steps to minimize shock

 Life-threatening condition in which there is

not enough blood being delivered to all
parts of the body
Develops after a serious injury or illness
including:
severe bleeding
Serious internal injury
Blood or body fluid loss

 Signs of Shock

Restlessness or irritability
Altered level of consciousness
Nausea or Vomiting
Pale, ashen, cool, moist skin
Rapid breathing and pulse
Excessive thirst

 Care of Shock

Call 911
Have the person lie down
Control any external bleeding
Elevate the persons legs 12 inches (unless
you suspect head, neck or back injuries)
Cover with 1 blanket
DO NOT give anything to eat or drink
Reassure the person
Monitor airway, breathing, and circulation

Checking an Unconscious
Adult
Check the scene for safety
Check the person for life-threatening
conditions
Remember the ABCs
Airway
Breathing
Circulation

 Airway
Open airway

Breathing
Look, listen, feel
Two breaths

Circulation
Check for pulse
Carotid pulse (neck) adult
Brachial pulse (mid-arm) infant

Lesson 9

Soft Tissue Injury

 Key Point
Five leading causes of injury-related to death
Motor vehicle crashes
Falls
Poisonings
Drownings
Choking

Two basic types of injury

Soft tissue
Musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, joints)

Types of Wounds
1. Soft tissues include layers of skin, fat, &
muscle
2. Damage may be at the skin level or deeper in
the body
3. A physical injury that damages the layers of
skin is called a wound.
4. Wounds are typically classified as either
opened or closed.

 Care for a closed wound:

Apply direct pressure
Elevate the injured body part if it does not
cause more pain
Apply ice or a cold pack
Never put ice directly on the skin
Leave ice or cold pack on 20 minutes, remove for 20
minutes, then ice 20 minutes

 Types of open wounds:

Abrasions

Lacerations

 Types of open wounds:

Avulsions or amputations

Punctures

 Care for an open wound

Use a barrier between your hand and the wound
Apply pressure to control bleeding
Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. If
possible irrigate the wound for 5 minutes with clean
running water.
Apply Neosporin or triple antibiotic to minor wound.
Cover the wound with a sterile or clean dressing and a
bandage.

If a person has a closed or open wound and

complains of severe pain or cannot move a body part
without pain or if you think the force that caused the
injury was great enough to cause serious damage, seek
advanced medical care stat.

Controlling Bleeding

Shock can develop from a serious injury

that results from severe external or
internal bleeding
Signs of internal bleeding:

Tender, swollen, bruised or hard areas of the

body. Example: abdomen
Rapid, weak pulse
Skin that feels cool or moist or looks pale or
bluish

 Excessive thirst
Becoming confused, faint, drowsy or unconscious
Vomiting or coughing up blood

Controlling Open Wound

Bleeding
Elevate & Apply
pressure with a gauze
dressing
If bleeds through
dressing, apply another
dressing over
previous NEVER
remove a dressing.

Controlling Open Wound

Bleeding
Apply a roller bandage
Tie knot over the
wound tape dressing

Check fingers / toes

for circulation

 Elevation

Pressure Points
Rt. and Lt. Brachial Artery
Rt. and Lt. Femoral Artery

Pressure on Brachial Artery

Put Thumb on outside
of arm, fingers on
inside of middle upper
arm and Squeeze.

Pressure on Femoral Artery

Place heel of hand
directly over femoral
artery (located
between upper leg and
pubic area), lean
forward keeping arm
straight and apply
pressure.

Tourniquet
USE ONLY AS A
LAST
RESORT !!!!!!!!!
Once applied Never
loosen
Get Help at Once!!

Burns
Cause:

Thermal (heat)
Chemicals
Electricity
Radiation

 Classifications: by depth
1st degree

sunburn
epidermis only
never blisters
not calculated in burn extent

2nd degree
through the epidermis into the dermis
pink, moist, painful
white, dry, less sensation

3rd degree
All three layers burned
May be tissue damage to the bone
May or may not be painful

Caring for a Minor Burn

Do:
Check scene for safety
Remove source of burn
Cool 1st and 2nd degree
burns with cool
running water
Cover wound loosely
with a sterile dressing

 DO NOT!!!!

Use ice
Break blisters
Remove pieces of clothing stuck to burn
Use any type of ointment on a severe burns
Do not immerse 3rd degree burns in water
Do not touch the area of a burn with anything but a
clean covering

Chemical Burns
Remove contaminated
clothing if possible
Brush off dry
chemicals
Flush burn with water
for 15 to 20 minutes
Flush eye, if chemical
in eye, for 15 20 min.

Electrical Burns
Look First, Do Not Touch
DO NOT go near person until he/she is not in
contact with power source

High-voltage: call 911

Turn off power source
Observe for cardiac arrest
Care for shock, thermal burns
All need advanced medical care

When to Call 911

Trouble breathing
Burns covers more than one body part or a
large surface area
Suspected burns to the airway
Burns to the head, neck, hands, feet or
genitals
3rd degree burns in victims under 5, adults
over 60 years
Burns from chemicals, explosions, or
electricity

Lesson 10

Injuries to Muscles, Bones and Joints

Types of Muscle, Bone and

Joint Injuries
Fractures: break in bone
Open Fracture: skin over
fracture broken
Closed Fracture: skin over
fracture intact

Dislocation: displacement of a
bone at the joint

 Sprain: partial or complete tearing or

stretching of a ligament

Strain: stretching or tearing of muscles or

tendon fibers

Care for Musculoskeletal

System

R
I
C
E

est
ce
ompress
levate

R
I
C
E

est
mmobilize
old
levate

Splinting
Definition: method of immobilizing
Splint injury in position in which you find
it
Splint the injured area and the joints or
bones above and below the injury site
Check for circulation
Feeling, warmth, and color

Types of Splints
Soft Splint
Use of pillows, folded blankets, towels, & a sling

Rigid Splint
Includes boards, metal strips & folded magazines or
newspapers
Use a triangular bandage

Anatomical Splints
Use uninjured body part as a splint to immobilize an
injured area

Head, Neck or Back Injuries

Key Points:
These injuries may cause unintentional death
or life-long neurological damage
The goal in caring for a person with a head,
neck or back injury is to minimize movement

Care for Injuries to the Head,

Neck, or Back
Call 911
Minimize movement of the head, neck or
back
Leave victim in the position found in
If the head is turned sharply to one side,
DO NOT try to align it. Support the head
in the position you found it in.

 Monitor the ABCs

Airway
Breathing
Circulation

Lesson 11

Sudden Illness

Sudden Illness
General Guidelines
Do no further harm
Monitor breathing and consciousness
Help the person rest in the most comfortable
position
Keep the person from getting chilled or
overhead
Reassure the person
Give any specific care needed

Fainting
Temporary loss of consciousness
Caused by a temporary reduction of blood
flow to the brain
Usually self-correcting
Victim recovers quickly with no lasting
effects
Place victim on back: elevate legs 8 12
inches

Diabetic Emergency
Body does not produce enough insulin or
does not use insulin effectively
If victim conscious and able to swallow:
Give sugar

If victim unable to swallow or sugar not

available call 911

Seizures
Disruption of normal electrical activity of
the brain causing a loss of body control
Protect from injury
Remove objects that could cause injury
Protect the victims head

 When to call 911

Seizure lasts more than 5 minutes
Person has repeated seizures, without regaining
consciousness
Person is injured
Person has diabetes or pregnant
Person fails to regain consciousness after a
seizure

Stroke
Definition:
Brain Attack: blockage of blood flow to part of
the brain causing death of brain tissue

Signals of a Stroke:
Weakness or numbness on one side of face or
arm or leg
Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
Sudden dizziness
Blurred vision or sudden severe headache

 THINK

F
A
S

weakness on one side of the face

time to call 911 if you see any of

these signals

weakness or numbness in one arm

slurred speech or trouble getting
words out

Stay with the person and monitor his/her breathing

and other signs of life.

Poisoning
Definition:
Any substance that can cause injury, illness or
death when introduced into the body

How introduced into the body:

Inhalation
Swallowed
Absorption
Injection

 Treatment
If life threatening call 911
Call Poison Control Center and follow their directions
1-800-222-1222
DO NOT give anything by mouth

Allergic Reaction
Cause:

Drugs
Medications
Foods
Chemicals

 Treatment:
Check
Call
Care
Give care for any life-threatening condition

Epinephrine auto-injector

 RECOVERY POSITION

 Insect Stings

Scrape away the stinger

Wash site with soap and water
Cold pack to reduce pain
Watch for signs of an allergic reaction

Tick Bites
Remove tick with tweezers as close to skin as
possible and pull slowly
DO NOT
Burn tick off
Apply petroleum jelly
If rash, flu-like sx, or joint pain seek medical care

Lesson 12

Heat and Cold Related Emergencies

Heat Related Emergencies

Causes:

Strenuous outdoor activity on a hot day

Working in a hot room with little air circulation
Not drinking enough water
Working in a building where the cooling system
has failed

 Types of Heat Related Emergencies

Heat Cramps
Painful muscle spasms

Care:

Move to cool place

Cool body
Give cool fluids to drink
Lightly stretch muscles

 Heat Exhaustion (Early stage)

Cool, moist, pale, ashen or flushed skin

Headache
Nausea
Dizziness and weakness
Exhaustion

Care:
Move to cool area
Loosen or remove clothing
Cool body
Wet towel

Give cool fluids

 Heat Stroke (Late stage)

Most severe..
Red skin
Usually dry
Change in consciousness
Rapid, weak pulse
Rapid, shallow breathing

Care:
Move to cool area
Loosen or remove clothing
Cool body
Wet towels, spray body with water, fan body

Call 911

Cold Related Illness

Frostbite:
When body tissue freezes

Hypothermia:
Entire body cools because bodys ability to
regulate temperature fails
Victim may die

 Signals of frostbite
Lack of feeling in affected area
Skin that appears waxy, cold to touch
Discoloration of skin (flushed, white, yellow,
blue)

 Care for Frostbite

Handle area gently
Never rub affected area may damage soft
tissues
DO NOT rewarm if chance of freezing again
If rewarming:
Soak frostbite area in lukewarm water
Loosely bandage in a dry sterile dressing
DO NOT break blisters

 Signals of hypothermia

Shivering
Numbness
Glassy stare
Shivering that stops without rewarming

 Care for Hypothermia

Call 911
Be sure victim is comfortable
Remove wet clothing and dry person
Warm body gradually by wrapping the person
in blankets or moving victim to warm place
DO NOT warm the person to quickly

Lesson 13

Asthma

Asthma
Tiggers

Dust,smoke, air pollution

Fear / anxiety
Exercise
Allergies
Colds
Infections

 Signals of Asthma

Coughing / wheezing
Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
Sweating
Tightness in the chest
Inability to talk without stopping for breath
Feeling of fear or confussion

 Care of person with asthma

Remain calm
Reassure victim
Assist with use of inhaler
Call 911 if appropriate

Lesson 3

Breathing Emergencies and

Conscious Choking Adult, Child,
or Infant