Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace

If you must perform an emergency move, use good lifting techniques: • Use your legs — not your back — and keep the weight as close to your body as possible. • Lift without twisting. • Consider victim’s weight. • Know your physical ability and respect your limitations. When you must place an injured person on his or her side, use a modified recovery position called the HAINES position. HAINES stands for “High Arm IN Endangered Spine.” When using the HAINES position, there is less neck movement and less risk of spinal-cord damage.11, 12 Recovery Positions Recovery positions protect the airway of an unresponsive person from becoming blocked by the tongue, vomit, or secretions. In the recovery position, the unresponsive victim’s airway is more likely to remain open, and obstruction of the airway is less likely. As a first aid provider, you would place an unresponsive victim in the recovery position only if the victim is uninjured and is breathing normally. Using the recovery position is especially important if the victim is vomiting or if you must leave the victim alone to get help. Uninjured Victim Place an unresponsive, uninjured victim who is breathing normally on his or her side, especially if the victim has secretions in their airway, is vomiting, or if you must leave the victim alone to get help. • Make sure the victim’s body position is stable so he or she does not roll onto his or her face or back. • Make sure there is no pressure on the chest that could make it harder to breath. Check breathing regularly. • Because blood flow in the lower arm may be impaired, turn the victim to the opposite side if they are in the recovery position for more than 30 minutes.10 Injured Victims As a rule, you should not move an injured victim. However, there are times you may have to: • When the victim is lying flat on his or her back and has debris, blood, or secretions in his or her mouth that might block the airway. • When you must leave the victim alone to get help. • When the victim is lying on a very hot or very cold surface and you need to get a blanket under the victim to maintain a normal body temperature. Responding to Emergencies Multiple Victims and Disasters A first aid provider may face situations with more than one victim. These situations may range from auto crashes to catastrophic natural disasters or terrorist attacks. When there are many injured victims, the first aid provider must try to prioritize them by how urgently they need care. This is called triage – a French word meaning “to sort.” The goal of triage is to do the greatest good for the greatest number. To accomplish this goal, the first aid provider must not begin to provide care at random. To begin triage, first call out, “If you can walk, come to the sound of my voice.” If there are victims who can walk, instruct them to remain at a safe location. Victims who are not seriously ill or injured may also be able to help provide first aid. Now, move from victim to victim, quickly assessing their condition and sorting them into three basic groups:13 1. Immediate: The victim has life-threatening injuries. Rapid, life-saving is urgent (example: unresponsive victim with profuse bleeding.) 2. Delayed: The victim does not have life-threatening injuries. Treatment may be delayed (example: responsive victim with broken leg.) 3.Dead: No signs of life or obviously dead. Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace 9 This training guide is provided online for individual use only. Reprinting for classroom distribution is prohibited. DO NOT leave an unconscious or semi-conscious person, including one “passed out” from excessive alcohol or drug use, alone while lying flat on their back. It can be fatal. If you hear gurgling or the unresponsive victim vomits, you must get the victim quickly onto their side to protect the airway. The victim must have an open airway in order to live!

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace

Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace Contents Basic First Aid Emergency Action Steps Severe Bleeding and Shock Major Wounds Minor Wounds Burns Bites and Stings Dental Injuries Eye and Nose Injuries Injuries to Limbs Injuries to the Spine Head Injury Sudden Illness Specific Conditions Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke Endnotes About This Program

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.