What is an Emergency?

Emergency is the sudden onset of medical or surgical severity that, in the absence of immediate
medical attention, could reasonably and expectedly result in serious danger to health or impairment of
bodily functions.

Emergency Action Principles

● Survey the scene

- get the consent to give care, check for responsive such as alertness, verbal response, pain stimuli,
and unresponsiveness, and protect the spine, if necessary.

● Activate medical assistance

- do care first or call first, especially in cardio-related problem for adult and care first, and in
respiratory problem in child and infant

- bystander can be requested to call physician

Things to remember in activating medical assistance:

~ situation of the person injured ~ extent of injury and first aid given

~ location ~ telephone number from where you are calling

~ number of the person injured ~ identity of the person who activates the medical

assistance

● Primary survey

- check the airway for breathing for five seconds and blood circulation for ten seconds

- this survey includes interviewing the victim, knowing his or her name, background intervention about
the about, and assessing sample medical history of the victims

- head to toe examination must be conducted

The indications for emergency rescue:

1. Danger of fire or explosion

2. Risk of toxic gases or asphyxia due to lack of oxygen
3. Serious traffic hazards
4. Risk of drowning
5. Danger of electrocution
6. Danger of collapsing walls
Methods of Rescue

1. For immediate rescue without any assistance, drag or pull the victim
2. Most of the drag, carries, lifts and other transfer methods can be used as methods of rescue.
Factors to consider in choosing the transfer methods:

- nature and severity of the injury

- size of the victim

- physical capabilities of the first aider

- number of personnel and equipment available

- nature of evacuation mode

- distance to be covered

- gender of the victim

Guidelines during transfer:

1. Victim’s airway must be maintained open.

2. Hemorrhage is controlled.
3. Victim is safely maintained in the correct position.
4. The victim’s condition is regularly checked.
5. Supporting bandages and dressing remain effectively applied.
6. The method of transfer is safe, comfortable, and as speedy as circumstances permit.
7. The patient’s body is moved as one unit.
8. The taller first aiders stay at the head side of the victim.
9. First aiders or bearers must observe ergonomics in lifting and moving the patient.

Methods of Transfer

1. One-man assists, carries, drags such as assist to walk, carry in arms, carry in a pack-strap
method, carry in a fireman’s way, blanket drag, armpit or shoulder drag, cloth drag, and inclined
drag.
2. Two-man assists such as assist to walk, four-hand seat hands as a litter, carry by extremities, and
fireman’s carry with assistance.
3. Three-man assists such as bearers alongside and hammock carry

Cloth Material Commonly Used in First Aid

1. Dressing

- any germ-free fabric material used to plaster wound

2. Bandage

- any clean or sterilized fabric material that holds the dressing in place