Do You Know Enough First Aid to Teach an EMT Certification Class?

One of the most important things to remember is to look around to see if your surroundings are safe. Unless the person is so injured that you shouldn’t move them without proper support and equipment, you should take the injured and yourself to a safer location.

No matter how dirty the surroundings are, it’s best to wear gloves that are clean and suited for medical work. That way, infections due to being handled for treatment can be minimized, so wearing a pair should be automatic.

In the absence of water and soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a good substitute for hand washing. For emergency personnel, this item should always be a part of their kit.

Injured people are also suffering from emotional trauma, so imagine all the feelings they’re going through when you approach them. It is therefore vital for a rescuer to exhibit a calm and reassuring attitude that will help the injured person relax, even for a while, and think positively, to better the situation at hand. Panic only begets panic.

If you reach an unresponsive person, you should try speaking to them first, or even lightly tap their shoulders, before doing anything else. One can even shout or speak in a loud voice to do that. If the injured still doesn’t react, then it’s safe to assume they are truly unconscious.

Rising chest movement, sounds and air moving from their nose and mouths are the basic signs that someone unconscious is still breathing. You can use your cheek, positioned near the injured person’s mouth and nostrils, to feel the movement of air if a person is breathing weakly.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is one of the most important procedures that a first responder must know how to do. In many cases, CPR administered on time may spell the difference between life or death, or it may prevent some form of brain damage.

Aside from chest compressions, a rescuer is also supposed to do two “rescue breaths” as part of CPR. This is done by exhaling directly to the fully covered mouth after several compressions.

The center of the chest is the best area of the body to place your hands when compressing a person’s chest. Imagine running a line between the nipples, and then putting your two hands together at an area just below the line. Remember, just push enough to compress the chest about 2 inches. You must do this fast for about 30 times in one cycle before resting for the next cycle.

Once a person is confirmed to be unconscious and cannot be woken up, the next step is to look for signs of breathing. If the person is not breathing, immediate action must be taken next.

Keeping an injured person warm is very important. This is doubly true when you are in a cold or windy environment. It may also prevent shock, so it’s a good procedure to do.

Under no circumstances are you supposed to try and make an unconscious person drink fluids of any kind. This may cause choking, and they may die in the process, so it’s a no-no.

Sometimes, the injured person may be in an area where live wires or exposed electrical wiring are still present. Do make sure to use a stick or similar object that is made of wood, plastic or some other non-conductive material when moving them away. Metal objects are not a good idea to use in this situation, as they conduct electricity.

It might initially make sense to use ice water or even ice cubes to treat burns. However, this is not true, as extremely cold water or ice cubes may induce frostbite on the skin of the affected area, damaging it more. Human skin is really that delicate.

Stroke victims usually have obvious symptoms. Some of the most important signs are those that portend the future -- they can be thought of as "red flags" that are letting us know that something is brewing. Aside from those mentioned in the choices, symptoms include sudden sharp headaches, weakness over one whole side of the body, blurring or loss of vision in one eye and even dizziness.

To prevent people from choking on something in their windpipe, reach from behind and interlock your hands between the breastbone and belly button. Thrust upwards with your “hug” until whatever is blocking the windpipe is expelled.

When a person is unconscious, do not slap or splash them with water on the face, even if you see them do this at the movies or in TV shows. It’s a theatrical thing to do that only works in that fictional environment. Rescuers don't do that sort of thing.

It will sometimes happen that you will find yourself in situations where you run out of sterile gloves or even hand sanitizer. If you have some cotton or medical gauze, which you ought to have in your kit, you can use it to wrap around your hands or fingers before treating a bloodied person. Clean any blood on you as soon as possible afterwards.

Broken bones should be kept as “non-movable” as possible. This means that the person affected shouldn’t be supporting any weight or be subject to a lot of movement, because it can aggravate the injury.

Seizures happen in different ways, but it’s always a good idea to have the person experiencing a seizure to lie on the ground, and to lie on one side, to help them breathe. Don’t try to hold them down, as you or the person may sustain more injuries.

Shock is usually caused by loss of blood and many or massive wounds. It can also be caused by psychological stress, even if a person is not injured. Shock can also be fatal if not addressed immediately, so watch out for this closely.

The simplest treatment for a puncture or gunshot wound is to use medical gauze or a clean piece of cloth. Cover the wound with these materials, and then put pressure on it. This will help make the blood clot, preventing more bleeding, and helps in closing the wound.

If the injured person has been treated but seems to be in shock, make sure to loosen their clothing but keep them warm. You should also reassure them, but don’t give them anything to eat or drink yet.

In some cases, the injured will have wounds that are bloody. If they have a disease that can infect others through blood and bodily fluids, gloves will protect the rescuer, who needs to be in tiptop shape to perform their duties.

When dealing with broken bones, making a splint is the usual procedure. It can be as simple as a thick roll of newspapers and tape, or if a finger is broken, you can use tape and the nearest other finger as support.

Concussions can be a tricky sort of injury. The first aid treatment for this is usually an ice pack to the affected area and keeping the head as still as possible. Afterward, patients must be observed for at least 24 hours.

Rescuers are only effective if they themselves stay healthy and free of infection. To this end, masks and protective eye gear are provided aside from sterile gloves. These items prevent infection for both the rescuer and the injured.

For broken arm bones, a sling is a good option if there are only cloth or gauze materials, or if one must conserve the use of other medical supplies. Tie the length of cloth or gauze around the broken arm, and then up around the shoulder.

Choking on a foreign object in a person’s windpipe is an immediate threat to their life. Loss of oxygen to the brain for only a few minutes can lead to permanent damage, and even death, on the spot.

For cerebral kind of injuries, one can check the eyes carefully for clues to detect some anomaly of this sort, if any. If one pupil appears to be dilated while the other looks narrower than usual, this could be an essential clue to take note of.

Spinal injuries can make the person feel weak, numb or have no control and feeling at all in some parts of their body. Sometimes, it can be seen physically with the back or neck in a wrong or awkward position. This is what rescuers need to spot if they suspect that this kind of injury is present.

Heart attacks usually start with experiencing pain in the chest. This pain can then radiate outwards to the arms, the neck, even the jaw and teeth. Shortness of breath is also a symptom, along with sweating and nausea.

Even if a person is injured, if they are conscious and able to understand a rescuer, the rescuer must always ask for consent to treat them, first and foremost. Aside from being a legal requirement, this also mentally prepares the injured for the treatment about to happen.

The spinal cord, which is the main nerve pathway to our brain, is housed inside the spine. A spinal injury does not necessarily mean that the cord has been cut or torn, but mishandling a spinal injury can result in permanent paralysis over much of a person’s body.

While it may seem cruel, the general rule is not to move or remove an impaled object from a person, until they are taken to the hospital. Then, the object can be shortened and secured into place. Aside from that, if the impaled object is blocking an airway or hampering breathing, then it can be removed immediately after consideration of how serious the injury is.