Principles of first aid

Preserve life:

Airway
Breathing
Circulation

Prevent deterioration:
Stop bleeding

Treat shock
Treat other injuries

Promote recovery:

Reassure
Relieve pain
Handle with care
Protect from harm

Action in an emergency
Assess dangers
Make safe
Give emergency aid
Get help
Clear up
Look after yourself

The first person at the

scene of an incident should:

Danger
Response
Airway
Breathing
Circulation

Make the area safe

Reassure the casualty and bystanders
Use bystanders to help
Prioritise and respond to the
immediate needs of the casualty
Send for help

As soon as possible:
Inform next of kin, if possible
Complete reports to include:

Details of the incident

Location of the incident
Date and time of the incident
Who was involved
What was done
Who was notified

Infection control
If possible, wear disposable gloves,
improvise with polythene bags or
consider whether the casualty can
help, eg apply pressure to bleeding.

Remember:

Wash your hands carefully afterwards.

Clean surfaces with bleach diluted 1:10

with water.
If possible, keep any minor wounds
covered with a plaster.
Buy and use a resuscitation face shield.
Dispose of soiled items appropriately.

Recovery position

Levels of consciousness
A Alert will talk but may be drowsy.
V Responds to Voice responds to
simple commands, eg open your
eyes, or may respond to simple
questions.

P Responds to Pain will react

(eg make a noise) to a pinch on the

back of the hand.

U Unresponsive there is no
response at all.

Causes of
unconsciousness:

Fainting
Imbalance of heat
Shock
Heart attack/
angina pectoris

Stroke
Head injuries

Asphyxia/hypoxia/
near drowning
Asthma
Anaphylaxis
Poisoning
Seizures
Diabetic emergencies

Emergency life support

for adults and children
Primary survey
Check for danger.
1 Check for response.
Speak loudly and
clearly to the casualty.
Ask questions like are
you all right?.
If there is no response,
shout for help. Do not
leave the casualty.

Emergency life support

for adults and children
2 Open the airway.

3 Check for normal

breathing. Look, listen
and feel.

Emergency life support

for adults and children
4 If breathing normally, place in the
recovery position.

CALL THE EMERGENCY SERVICES

Emergency life support

for adults and children
Basic life support

For children
Carry out a primary survey: It can be more
beneficial to give
Danger
five initial breaths
Response
followed by
Airway
cycles of 30:2
compressions
Breathing
and breaths.
Circulation
One-handed
CALL THE
compressions
EMERGENCY
may be more
SERVICES
suitable.

Emergency life support

for adults and children
1 If not breathing normally, start CPR with
30 chest compressions.
2 Open the airway.

Emergency life support

for adults and children
3 Give two rescue breaths. Continue with
30 compressions
and two rescue
breaths until:

Qualified help

arrives to take
over.
The casualty
starts to breathe
normally.
You become
too exhausted
to continue.

Chain of survival

Shock: causes
Fluid loss bleeding, burns, severe
diarrhoea or vomiting

Cardiac problems heart attack,

electrocution

Anaphylaxis severe allergic

reaction to stings, types of food,
environmental features, poisons

Shock: signs and

symptoms

Pale, cold, clammy skin

Weak, dizzy, light-headed
Nausea or vomiting
Thirsty
Yawning
Anxiety or irrational behaviour
Rapid, weak pulse
Rapid, shallow breathing
Dropping level of consciousness

Shock: treatment
Treat the cause and prevent the
condition getting worse by:
Correct positioning of the casualty
Reassurance
Keeping the casualty fairly warm
Monitoring breathing if necessary
Do not give anything to
eat or drink

Bleeding
Direct pressure
Elevate
Dress

Slings
Elevation sling

Slings
Arm sling

Choking

Heart attack position

Fractures

Nose bleeds

Duty of care for other

peoples children
Whilst first aiders would not normally give
medication, youth leaders working with
other peoples children have a duty of care
equivalent to that of a responsible parent
They are often required to look after or
carry medicines for young children and
sometimes need to administer them
Leaders should always seek parental
permission before doing so

First aid kits

A guide to the contents of a kit:
1 pair of disposable non-latex protective
gloves
20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive
dressings
2 sterile eye pads
4 individually wrapped triangular bandages,
preferably sterile
6 safety pins
6 medium-sized (approximately 12cm x 12cm)
individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound
dressings

First aid kits

Guidance leaflet (a leaflet supplied with the kit

or that you make yourself which includes brief

instructions on emergency treatment)
You may like to include:
Resuscitation shield
Scissors
Extra gloves
Adhesive tape
Steripods
Individually wrapped moist cleaning wipes
for the first aiders hands