Chapter 2

if the person is awake

obtain consent and then begin to gather additional info about the nature of the person's injury or illness

CARE steps/guidelines

- do no further harm - monitor the person's breathing and level of consciousness - help the person rest in the most comfortable position - keep the person from getting chilled or overheated - reassure the person by telling them that you will help and that EMS personnel have been called (if appropriate) - give care consistent with your knowledge and training as needed, and continue to watch for changes in the person's condition

the person calling 911 or the designated emergency number should be prepared to give the dispatcher the following info:

- the location of the emergency (the address, or nearby intersections or landmarks if the address is not known) - the nature of the emergency (e.g., whether police, fire, or medical assistance is needed) - the telephone number of the phone being used - a description of what happened - the number of injured or ill people - what help, if any, has been given so far, and by whom the caller should stay on the phone until the dispatcher tells the caller it is all right to hang up. many dispatchers are also trained to give first aid and CPR instructions over the phone

generally speaking, you should avoid moving a person to give care. however, under the following 3 conditions, it would be appropriate to move an injured or ill person:

- you must move the person to protect them from immediate danger (such as fire, flood, or poisonous gas) however, you should attempt this only if you can reach the person and remove them from the area without endangering yourself - you must move the person to reach another person who may have a more serious injury or illness - you must move the person to give proper care (ex: it may be necessary to move a person who needs CPR onto a hard, flat surface)

emergency action steps

1. CHECK: the scene and the person 2. CALL: 911 or the designated emergency number 3. CARE for the person

scene size-up

before entering an emergency situation, conduct a scene size-up and form an initial impression. try to answer these questions: - is the scene safe to enter? - what happened? - how many people are involved? - what is your initial impression about the nature of the person's injury or illness? - is anyone else available to help?

CALL first scenario examples

call first before giving care: - any person about 12 years or older who is unresponsive - a child or infant whom you witnessed suddenly collapsed - an unresponsive child or infant known to have heart problems

call first situations are likely to be

cardiac arrest - the priority is getting help on the scene as soon as possible bc early access to EMS personnel and an AED increases the person's chances for survival

CHECK

first, check the scene, then check the person

age ranges for adults, infants, and children

for purposes of first aid, follow these guidelines: - an adult is defined as someone about age 12 (adolescent) or older - a child is someone between the ages of 1 and 12 - an infant is someone younger than 1 year when using an AED: - a child is someone between the ages of 1 and 8 or weighing less than 55 pounds

CARE first scenario examples

give immediate care, then call 911: - an unresponsive infant or child younger than about 12 years old whom you did NOT see collapse - a person who is choking - a person who is experiencing a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxsis) and has an epinephrine auto-injector - a person who has severe, life-threatening bleeding

transporting the person yourself

if the person does not have a life-threatening injury or illness, you may decide to take the injured or ill person to a medical facility instead of calling for EMS personnel - never transport a person yourself if the person has or may develop a life-threatening condition, if you are unsure of the nature of the injury or illness, or if the trip may aggravate the injury or cause additional injury - if you decide it is safe to transport the person yourself, be sure you know the quickest route to the nearest medical facility capable of handling emergency care - ask someone to come with you to help keep the person comfortable and monitor the person for changes in condition so that you can focus on driving - discourage an injured or ill person from driving themself to the hospital

care first situation

if you are alone and there is no one to send to call 911, you may need to decide whether to call first or give care first

call

if you decide it is necessary to summon EMS personnel, make the call quickly and return to the person - if possible, ask someone else to make the call so that you can begin giving care

care first situation general info

include breathing emergencies and severe, life-threatening bleeding. in these situations, there are immediate actions that you can take at the scene that may prevent the person's condition from worsening - after you take these actions, call 911 to get more advanced medical help on the way

if the person appears to be unresponsive

shout, using the person's name if you know it - if there is no response, tap the person's shoulder (if the person is a child or adult) or the bottom of the foot (if the person is an infant) and shout again while checking for normal breathing -if the person does not respond to you in any way (such as by moving, opening their eyes or moaning) and the person is not breathing or only gasping, the person is unresponsive - if the person responds and is breathing normally, the person is responsive but may not be fully awake - give care according to the conditions that you find and your level of knowledge and training

CARE

the final emergency step is to give care according to the conditions that you find and your level of training - always care for life-threatening conditions before those that are not life-threatening - ex: a breathing emergency would take priority over an injured leg

as a trained lay responder, you top priority is to ensure that...

the person receives more advanced care as soon as possible - make the call quickly and return to caring for the person - if possible, have a bystander make the call

blank, blank, blank are all signs of a life-threatening emergency

unrepsonsiveness, trouble breathing, and severe bleeding - if your initial check of the person reveals these or any other life-threatening conditions, make sure that someone calls 911 - also have someone bring an AED and a first aid kit, if these items are available

checking the person

when you reach the person, you can conduct a more thorough check to determine what is wrong and what care is needed