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 person’s 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 person’s 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 person’s 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 ABC’s – 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

possible

irrigate

and

water

. If 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!!

• Cause: – – – –

Thermal (heat) Chemicals Electricity Radiation

Burns

• Classifications: by depth – 1 st degree • sunburn • epidermis only • never blisters • not calculated in burn extent – 2 nd degree • through the epidermis into the dermis • pink, moist, painful • white, dry, less sensation – 3 rd 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 1 st and 2 nd 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 3 rd 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 • 3 rd 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 ABC’s – 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 weakness on one side of the face

–

A

–

S weakness or numbness in one arm slurred speech or trouble getting words out

–

T time to call 911 if you see any of these signals

 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 body’s 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