Option 1: First Aid

WHAT ARE THE SETTING PRIORITIES FOR MANAGING A FIRST AUD SITUATION
MAIN AND ASSESSING THE CASUALTY
The priority when assessing and managing first aid patients is minimising harm to:
PRIORITIES FOR - Yourself
ASSESSMENT - Bystanders
- The casualty
AND When managing the first aid situation, it is important that the circumstances and eventual
MANAGEMENT outcomes for the patient are improved as much as possible. Expediency and appropriate care
OF FIRST AID here positively affect the individuals quality of life.

PARTICIPANTS? - Situational analysis

Aim of first aid = preserve life
● Setting priorities
- protect the unconscious
for managing a
- access medical support
first aid situation
- prevent a casualty's condition from becoming worse
and assessing the
- promote the recovery of a casualty
casualty
- Situational analysis
- Priority assessment - Priority assessment procedures
procedure ● Primary survey: Involves managing life-threatening conditions
- DRSABCD -Is the casualty conscious?
- STOP -Is the airway clear?
-Is the casualty breathing?
● Crisis This is known as the DRSABCD regime
management ● Secondary survey
- Cardiopulmonary -Find out what happened? When will it happen? (using STOP regime)
Resuscitation -Locate the injuries and prioritise the order or treatment (head to toe, ABC, BBBB)
(CPR) -Manage the injuries correctly while reassuring and comforting the casualty
- Bleeding
- Shock - DRSABCD
- Neck and Spinal Danger- lookout for danger
Injury Response- COWS
- Moving the Send for help- 000
casualty Airway- look into casualty's mouth
- Medical referral Breathing- look, listen and feel for normal breathing for 10 seconds
- Care of the CPR- 30 chest compressions, 2 breaths then repeat
unconscious Defibrillation

- STOP
Stop: Stop the casualty from moving
Talk: What happened? How did it happen? What did you feel? Where does it hurt?
Observe: Observe while talking to the casualty
- General: Is the casualty distressed?Is the casualty lying in an unusual position?
- Injury site: Is there any swelling, deformity or discolouration? Can the casualty move
the injured part?
- IF YES: Does it move? Is the range of movement restricted?
- IF NO: Arrange for appropriate transport
Prevent: Is it essential that you prevent further injury to the casualty, treat the injury as
required, direct the casualty to seek medical assistance, do not unnecessarily move the casualty
or have them perform actions that may pose a risk of further injury

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Crisis management involves reacting to negative events during and after they have occurred.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

● Danger: check danger
- To you
- To others
- To casualty
Remove or minimise hazards
● Response: Is the casualty conscious or unconscious? Ask the casualty to check
consciousness
- Can you hear me
- Open your eyes
- What's your name
- Squeeze my hand
If conscious ten complete a secondary survey and administer first aid if required.
If NOT responding check the casualty airway
● Send for Help: Call 000 for an ambulance or ask another person if they are close by
● Airway: Check the airway for build ups or obstructions by opening your mouth. If the
airway is blocked then roll into recovery (Do NOT open the airway until you know it's
clear)
● Breathing: Tilt-back casualties head to open their airway and check for normal
breathing
- Look (rise and fall of the chest)
- Listen (airflow from nose or mouth)
- Feel (airflow from nose or mouth)
If breathing, place in a recovery position. If NOT start CPR
● Compressions: Start CPR. Give 2 rescue breaths for ‘sign of life. If no ‘sign of life’
commence 30 chest compressions and continue the cycle of 2 rescue breaths and 30
chest compressions
● Defibrillation: Turn on AED (automated External Defibrillator) and follow the voice
prompts ensuring the casualty's chest is dry

- Bleeding
First aid for severe external bleeding includes direct pressure on the wound maintained by
using pads and bandages, and raising the injured area above the level of the heart if possible.
● Management for external bleeding includes:
- Use the DRSABCD regime
- Apply direct pressure by holding a sterile pad or dressing firmly over the site
- Lay the casualty down and rest the injury
- Elevate the injured area
- Do not give anything to the patient by mouth, especially aspirin
- Seek medical advice
Remember acronym PER in the case of bleeding
Pressure
Elevate
Rest
● Management for internal bleeding includes:
- Use the DRSABCD regime
- Help the casualty to a comfortable position
 - Loosen tight clothing
- Cover casualty with a blanket
- Do not give anything to the patient by mouth, particularly aspirin
- Reassure the casualty
- Seek medical advice

- Shock
Is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow
● Causes: when the circulatory system is not functioning properly, in response to trauma,
as blood is not circulating through the body. Therefore oxygen is not being carried to
tissues and vital organs such as the brain, heart and lungs
● Signs and symptoms:
- Rapid and weak pulse
- Cold and clammy skin
- Rapid and shallow breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fairness and dizziness
● First aid:
- Call 000
- Put disposable gloves on, of available
- Control any bleeding
- Dress any wounds or burns
- Immobilise any fractures or dislocations

- Neck and spinal injury

Is damage to the spinal cord results in a loss of functional mobility of feeling (stabilise the
neck). Suspect it when you can’t feel your toes or have pain in your back
● Signs and symptoms:
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
- Pain at or near or below the site of the injury
- Unnatural posture
● Conscious first aid:
- Calm the patient and loosen tight clothing.
- Do not move the patient unless in danger.
- Support head, neck and spine in a neutral position at all times to prevent
twisting or bending movements
- Call 000
● Unconscious first aid:
- Roll casualty into the recovery position
- While waiting for assistance, monitor the casualty airway
- Treat other injuries
- Loosen tight clothing

- Moving the casualty

When lifting a moving casualty it is important the first aider protects themselves from injury
by using correct lifting techniques
● Bend knees and using leg muscles
● Know your limitations
● Asking for help
● Learning correct procedures for moving a casualty

- Medical referral
If the casualty is suffering from an injury not easily treated they must be referred to a
professional in order to avoid more harm
 - Care of the unconscious casualty
Unconsciousness: When someone isn't able to respond/ be responsive. a state of being
unresponsive
● Causes of an unresponsive, breathing state
- Alcohol
- Epilepsy
- Insulin
- Overdose
- Uraemia
- Trauma
- Infection
- Psychiatric conditions
- Stroke, shock

● Steps for placing casualty into recovery position:

- Kneel at the side of the casualty
- Extend their arm to the side
- Place the other arm on their shoulder
- Lift the leg up
- Roll the victim up
- Roll victim
- Prevent victim from rolling
- Keeping them steady
- Keep airway open
- Tilting head back, opening chin
HOW SHOULD MANAGEMENT OF INJURIES
THE MAJOR Injury Signs and symptoms Management
TYPES OF Cuts and ● Scraped skin caused ● Cleanse thoroughly with
INJURIES AND lacerations by a fall on a hard sterile material, apply a
surface: bleeding, pain non-stick dressing
MEDICAL ● Incisions: pain, ● DRSABCD, control
uncontrollable bleeding under pressure,
CONDITIONS BE bleeding, penetrations cleanse thoroughly, seek
MANAGED IN ● Deep wound from an medical attention
object (ie. bullet): ● Apply clean dressing,
FIRST AID penetration, pain clean if possible, seek
medical attention
SITUATIONS?
● Management of Fractures - Sound from - DRSABCD
Injuries bone-breaking - Control bleeding
- Cuts and - Pain at the site - Immobilize with a sling or
Lacerations - Swelling and splints
- Fractures
deformity - Observe for shock and
- Tenderness treat if necessary
- Dislocations
- Loss of power - Seek medical attention
- Head injuries and
- Difficult to achieve
concussion normal range of
- Eye injuries movement
- Nasal injuries
- Burn injuries Dislocations - Swelling - DRSABCD
- Teeth injuries
- Discolouration - Support
- Pain - Apply ice
- Electrocution
- Deformity - Elevate if possible
- Chest injuries
- Tenderness - Seek medical attention
- Abdominal injuries - Inability to move

● Management of Head injuries - Blurred vision - DRSABCD

medical conditions and - Loss of memory - Support the head or neck
- Heart attack concussion - Headache - Keep airway open
- Change in size of one - If conscious, lay in lateral
- Troke
pupil position
- Diabetes
- Bleeding from nose or - Do not apply pressure to
- Epilepsy ear skull fracture
- Asthma - Abnormal response to - Seek medical attention
- Anaphylaxis a command
- Positioning
- Bites and stings Eye injuries - Irritation to the eye - Rubbing and removal of
- Exposure to heat
- Watering embedded objects must be
- Redness avoided
and cold
- Pain to the eye itself - Lay in lateral position
- Inability to open - Cover both eyes
- Seek medical attention

Nasal injuries - Pain - Instruct casualty to breathe

- Swelling through the mouth
- Busing - -blowing the nose should
- Deformity be avoided
- -assume sitting position
with head and shoulders
leaning forward
Burn injuries - Severe pain - Remove casualty from the
- Possible swelling danger or th damage (ie.
- Redness fire, smoke, electrical
- Swelling wire)
- Blistering - DRSABCD
- Shock - Hold burnt area under cold
running water
- Remove jewellery if not
stuck on the skin
- Seek urgent medical
attention

Teeth injuries - Bleeding from the - If the tooth has been

mouth loosened, keep it in place
- Dislodged tooth and seek immediate
medical advice
- If the tooth has been
knocked out, re-implant
and splint to an adjacent
tooth using aluminium
foil, if possible

Electrocution - Unconsciousness - DRSABCD

- Electrical wires may - Cool burn under running
be visible water
- Weak pulse - Seek urgent medical
attention

Chest injuries - Pain, usually - Place in a comfortable

breathing and position
coughing - Encourage shallow
- Difficulty in breathing breathing
- Tenderness when - Pad the injured area
touched - Seek urgent medical
advice

Abdominal - Shock - DRSABCD

injuries - Pain in region
- Nausea or possible
vomiting
- Difficulty in breathing
- Possible blood in the
urine or from the anus
- Loosen clothing in the area
(ie. belts)
- Lie patient on their back
- Do not allow the casualty
to consume
- Seek urgent medical
attention
 MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Medical condition Signs and symptoms Management

Heart attack- heart - Discomfort in the middle - DRSABCD

ceases to function in the chest - Sek urgent
due to adequate - Possible pain in arm and medical attention
blood supply neck
- Shortness of breath
- Shock

Stroke- sudden - Slurred speech - DRSABCD

blockage of blood - Blurred vision - Seek urgent
to the brain - Pupils may be in different medical care
sizes
- Loss of movement
- Possible seizures
- Possible loss of
consciousness

Diabetes- Illness ● Prior to treatment: despite - Eat complex

that impacts the loss of body weight, carbohydrates as
pancreas as it increased appetite, opposed to simple
prevents it you increased hunger, carbohydrates
from producing increased thirst, hunger - Regular exercise
insulin (glucose) and urination - Avoid large
Hyper: high blood ● Hypoglycemia: rapid amounts of fat
sugar pulse, profuse sweating,
Hypo: low blood templing hunger,
sugar aggression
● Hyperglycemia: rapid
pulse, drowsiness,
possibly progressing to
unconsciousness, thirst

Epilepsy - Some petit mals (seizures) - DRSABCD

can go unnoticed because - Place in lateral
the person may appear recovery position
‘vacant’ or ‘absent’ for a - Remove
short period dangerous objects
- Rigid body - During sleep
- Tightened jaw - Check pulse
- Some mouth frothing
- Possible loss of bladder
control

Asthma - Tightness in chest - Reassure the

- Sweating and paleness person
- Fast, shallow breathing - Assist with
- Hunched body posture medication
- Excessive throat clearing - Monitor breathing
- Laboured breathing - Provide water to
- Wheeze or persistent drink
cough

Anaphylaxis - Breathing difficulties - DRSABCD

- Swollen tongue, lips, face - Remove the
 and eyes trigger and
- Loss of consciousness minimise the
- Difficulty talking effects of
- Swelling or tightness in co-factors \
the throat wheeze or - Implement the
persistent cough individual
anaphylaxis
management
- Epipen if needed

Poisoning - Headache ● Unconscious:

- Blurred vision DRSABCD, seek
- Vomiting urgent medical
- Breathing difficulties attention
- Drowsiness ● Conscious:
- Abdominal pain DRSABCD, do
- Tight chest not induce
vomiting, seek
medical induced
help
● Corrosive (acids):
DRSABCD, drink
milk, don't vomit

Bites and stings - Puncture - Give time

- Headache
- Rapid pulse
- Double vision
- Tightness in chest/
breathing difficulties
- Sweating
- - Ice area
- - Soothing creams
- - Medical attention
if severe

Exposure to heat ● Heat exhaustion: rapid ● Hyperthermia:

and cold breathing, weak pulse, - Remove wet
clammy pale skin, clothing
headache, dizziness, - Keep warm
fatigue, extreme thirst
● Heatstroke: disorientation ● Hypothermia:
leading to possible - Remove wet
unconsciousness, marked clothing
increase in core body - Keep warm
temp.
● Hypothermia: shivering,
weak pulse, slurred
speech, shallow breathing
 WHAT DOES PHSYICAL ENVIRNOMENT
THE - Traffic Accidents
When giving aid in a traffic accident situation, consider the safety of yourself and
INDIVIDUAL
others around you. Prepare a plan of action to deal with the situation.
NEED TO ● Things to Consider at the Scene of a Traffic Accident
CONSIDER - Danger: to yourself, bystanders and casualties
- Look out for oncoming traffic, electricity poles, debris from the
WHEN accident
ADMINISTERING - Check for a response from the casualty
- Consider if you are physically and mentally comfortable helping the
FIRST AID? casualty
● Physcical - Think about what role you will provide in first aid, assistance or taking
envirponemnt the lead.
- Traffic accidents
- Water environment
- Water environment
- Electricity
There are various water environments that each pose their own hazards
● When rescuing someone the rescuer must be aware of:
● Infection control
- Their physical limits: how well they can swim
and protection
- The desperation of the drowning victim
- HIV/AIDS
- Hazardous objects in the water
- Bloodborne viruses
- Rips and Currents
( Hepatitis B and C)
● Protective Strategies:
● Legal and moral - Call for immediate help
dilemmas - Don’t place yourself at risk
- Legal implications, - Use other devices to help a person instead of going in to pull them out
e.g occupational
health and safety
Aquatic Potential Dangers Overcoming Dangers
legislation, Environment
litigation
- Moral obligations, Backyard - Drowning from lack of - Adequate supervision
e.g duty of care, Pool supervision - Proper fencing
responsible - -Falling into the pool: due - Invest in safety
citizenship
to no fence equipment
- Drowning: no access to
- Common sense
safety equipment
verse heroics
Aquatic - Getting hurt or drowning - Active supervision
● Support following Centre due to pools being too - Set a limit on the
first-aid situations (swimming crowded and lack of number of people in the
- Debriefing pool) supervision pool at once
- counselling
- Water too deep: leads to - Stay in your comfort
drowning zone in the pool

Beach - Drowning: not swimming - Swim in the flagged

in the flagged areas areas
- Getting caught in a rip - Don’t swim too far out

Lake/River - Injured by foreign objects - Swim in water that is

in the water body, due to visible/ wear shoes
poor visibility - Check the temp. Of the
- Water temp. water beforehand
 - Electricity
Plan to deal with electricity:
- Be aware and educated on the dangers of electricity
- Assess the potential for harm
- Do not objects that conduct electricity
- Turn the power off at the source if possible
- Follow first aid procedures to treat/ manage electrocution

INFECTION CONTROL AND PROTECTION

- HIV/AIDS
Bodily fluids such as blood, semen, faeces, vomit, etc; can pose threats to personal
health- so when administering first aid be aware of the risk of getting infections, and if
able take precautions to stay safe.
❖ Precautions to minimise the risk of infection from these fluids:
- Wear gloves
- Wear a face mask
- Use a plastic bag to touch someone if need be or to use for mouth to
mouth
- Don’t touch drug equipment
- Bring attention to the equipment

- Blood Borne Viruses (Hepatitis B and C)

Bodily fluids such as blood, semen, faeces, vomit, etc; can pose threats to personal
health- so when administering first aid be aware of the risk of getting infections, and if
able take precautions to stay safe.

❖ Precautions to minimise the risk of infection from these fluids:

- Wear gloves
- Wear a face mask
- Use a plastic bag to touch someone if need be or to use for mouth to
mouth
- Don’t touch drug equipment
- Bring attention to drug equipment

Legal and Moral Dilemmas

- Legal Implications
People are often concerned with someone suing them for negligence if they administer
something wrong whilst doing first aid. If you have provided first aid to the best of
your ability, whilst waiting for medical assistance then you should most likely not be
penalised. You still have the choice whether or not you desire to help the casualty.

- Moral Obligations
People who are trained in administering first aid are not legally obligated to do so if
needed. However, in an emergency situation, the first aider is faced with a moral
dilemma of whether to help or not.

- Common Sense VS Heroics

Commonsense and a clearly thought out action plan are paramount. First aid training
highlights the need for common sense, knowing your limitations and the prevention of
further injury.

Support Following First Aid Situations

Following the situation the first aider may be required to attend a debrief or
counselling session to ensure that any details of the situation are made clear and that
the first aider can relieve any trauma experienced.

- Debriefing
Debriefing involves obtaining factual info regarding the situation. Police, emergency
personnel, ambulance officers or accident investigation officers will need to interview
witnesses and first aiders to gain all the info possible on the situation.
● Debriefing is essential to:
- Gather all relevant information
- The relevant info can be pieced together to find out the whole situation
- Make all relevant info as accurate as possible
- Remain unbiased when describing the situation

- Counselling
Having to administer first air to critically ill individuals can be very upsetting. If left
unchecked it can lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia. First aiders exhibiting any of
these signs should seek professional help. Professional counsellors are available from
most public hospitals and state government organisations. In certain situations, such as
major disasters, teams of counsellors are sent directly to the disaster area to offer
support and guidance.