Comprehensive Guide to First Aid: Kits, Consent, and Universal Precautions

1. What You’ll Learn 1. Describe the contents of first aid kits and where they should be kept. 2. Distinguish between actual and implied consent. 3. Explain how to follow universal precautions. 4. Explain first aid procedures for sudden illnesses and burns.

2. What You’ll Learn 5. Explain first aid procedures for injuries to muscles, bones, and joints. 6. Describe first aid procedures for cold temperature-related and heat-related illnesses.

3. Key Terms • hypothermia • heatstroke • first aid • actual consent • implied consent • universal precautions • burn • splint • fracture • dislocation

4. First Aid Kits • First aid is the immediate and temporary care given to a person who has been injured or suddenly becomes ill. • It is important to keep first aid kits at home, in the family car, and on hand when you participate in outdoor activities, such as camping and hiking.

5. What to Know About First Aid Kits • Purchasing kits • In the kit, keep items needed to follow universal precautions and add any special medicines you or family members need. • Check the first aid kit often for items with expiration dates that have expired.

6. What to Know About First Aid Kits • Kit items • Many items are essential in a first aid kit, including a cold pack to reduce swelling, activated charcoal to absorb toxins in case of ingestion of a poisonous substance, antiseptic ointment, gauze pads, adhesive bandages, tape, scissors, and a triangular bandage.

7. What to Know About First Aid Kits • Kit items • Other useful items in a first aid kit include plastic bags and disposable gloves to protect against infection, tweezers, flashlight with extra batteries, and a blanket.

8. Consent to Give First Aid • You must have consent, or permission, to give first aid. • There are two types of consent: actual and implied. • There also are laws that protect people who give first aid in good faith.

9. What to Know About Consent to Give First Aid • Actual consent • Actual consent is oral or written permission from a mentally competent adult to give first aid. • A parent, guardian, or supervising adult with legal permission to care for the child must give actual consent if a victim is a child or is not mentally competent.

10. What to Know About Consent to Give First Aid • Actual consent • Tell the victim who you are, what you plan to do, and the first aid training that you have had. • Do not give first aid if the victim or the victim’s parent, guardian or supervising adult says “no.”

11. What to Know About Consent to Give First Aid • Implied consent • Implied consent is assuming the victim would grant permission to give first aid if he or she were capable. • Implied consent is given when the victim is a mentally competent adult who is unconscious or a child or an adult who is not mentally competent, when no adult who can grant actual consent is present.

12. What to Know About Consent to Give First Aid Good Samaritan Laws • Many states have Good Samaritan laws, which are laws that protect people who give first aid in good faith and without gross negligence or misconduct. • Anyone giving first aid should be properly trained since Good Samaritan laws cannot provide complete legal protection.

13. Universal Precautions • You must protect your health when giving first aid to another person. • You still can help a victim without putting yourself at risk of infection.

14. WhattoKnowAboutUniversalPrecautions • Universal precautions • Follow universal precautions in any situation in which you might have contact with blood and other bodily fluids. • Universal precautions are steps taken to prevent the spread of disease by treating all human blood and bodily fluids as if they contained HIV, HBV, and other pathogens when providing first aid or health care.

15. WhattoKnowAboutUniversalPrecautions

16. Sudden Illness • An illness that occurs without warning signals is called a sudden illness. • Signs of sudden illness may include dizziness and confusion, weakness, changes in skin color, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. • Seizures, paralysis, slurred speech, difficulty seeing, and severe pain also may indicate sudden illness.

17. First Aid for Sudden Illness • What to do for sudden illness  • Call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately. • Give first aid if the illness poses a threat to the victim’s life. • Try to keep the victim calm and comfortable. • Monitor the victim for changes in consciousness. • Do not give an unconscious victim anything to eat or drink.

18. First Aid for Sudden Illness • What to do for fainting • Put the victim on his or her back and elevate the victim’s legs 8–12 inches above the level of the heart. • Do not elevate the legs if you suspect a head, neck, or back injury. • Do not splash water on the victim, slap the victim’s face, or use smelling salts.

19. First Aid for Sudden Illness • What to do for vomiting • Turn the victim on his or her side and allow the victim to complete the vomiting process. • Give small sips of clear liquids, such as water or broth, increasing the amount of fluids if they can be tolerated without vomiting. • Have the victim relax until strength is regained. • If vomiting continues, seek medical care.

20. First Aid for Sudden Illness • What to do for seizures • Place something under the victim’s head to cushion the head from injury and remove any nearby objects that might injure the victim. • Do not restrain the victim or place anything in the victim’s mouth or between the teeth. • Look for a medic alert tag that would indicate a chronic illness. • Observethevictimuntil he or sheis fullyawake.

21. Burns • A burn is an injury caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation. • The seriousness of a burn depends on the cause of the burn, the length of time the victim was exposed to the source of the burn, the location of the burn on the body, the depth of the burn, the size of the burn, and the victim’s age and health condition.

22. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • What to do for first-degree burns • A first-degree burn is a burn that affects the top layer of skin. • The skin becomes red and dry and may swell and be painful to touch. • First-degree burns usually heal in six days without permanent scarring.

23. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • First aid for a first-degree burn 1. Stop the burning. Get the victim out of the sun. Remove the victim from the source of the burn. 2. Cool the burned area with cool, running tap water or water from a garden hose, or have the victim get into the bath or shower. 3. Use sheets or towels soaked in cold water to cool a burn on the face or other areas that cannot be soaked. Keep adding cool water. 4. Wear latex gloves. Loosely cover the area with dry, sterile bandages.

24. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • What to do for second-degree burns • A second-degree burn is a burn that involves the top layers of the skin. • The skin becomes red and may appear wet and blotchy. • Blisters form and may open and discharge clear fluid. • Second-degree burns usually heal in two to four weeks and slight scarring may occur.

25. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • First aid for a second-degree burn 1. Call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately if the burns are larger than 2–3 inches, or on the face or hands. 2. Remove the victim from the source of the burn. 3. Cool the burned area with cool water or cool cloths. 4. Do not break blisters or remove tissue. 5. Loosely cover the area with dry, sterile bandages. 6. Elevate the burned area above heart level. 7. Loosely cover the victim with clean, dry sheets if burns cover large parts of the body. Treat the victim for shock.

26. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • What to do for third-degree burns • A third-degree burn is a burn that involves all layers of skin and some underlying tissues. • A third-degree burn may affect fat tissue, muscle tissue, bones, and nerves. • Third-degree burns may take months or years to treat and permanent scarring often occurs. • Some victims require skin grafting and plastic surgery.

27. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • First aid for a third-degree burn 1. Remove the victim from the source of the burn and obtain medical care immediately. 2. Treat the victim for shock. 3. Determine if the victim is breathing. Give rescue breaths if necessary. 4. Do not remove clothing stuck to the burn. Do not break blisters or remove tissue. 5. Do not apply anything cold to the burn. 6. Loosely cover the area with dry, sterile bandages or clean cloth.

28. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • What to do for electrical burns • An electrical burn is a burn that occurs when electricity travels through the body. • The seriousness of an electrical burn depends on the strength of the electrical current and the path the current takes through the body. • There may be wounds where the electrical current enters and leaves the body.

29. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • First aid for an electrical burn 1. Call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately. All electrical burns must be examined by a doctor. They may appear to be minor, but may be very deep. 2. Do not go near the victim until the source of electricity is turned off. 3. Treat the victim for shock. 4. Do not move the victim. 5. Loosely cover the area with dry, sterile bandages. 6. Do not use cool water or compresses, because the victim may be in shock.

30. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • What to do for chemical burns • A chemical burn is a burn that occurs when chemicals in a laboratory or in products get on the skin or into the eyes or body. • The burn continues as long as there is contact with the chemical.

31. What to Know About First Aid for Burns • First aid for a chemical burn 1. Remove the victim from the chemical causing the burn. Have the victim remove any clothing with the chemical on it. 2. If the exposure is serious, call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately. 3. Flush the skin or eyes with cool, low-pressure running water for 15–30 minutes. If one eye is involved, have the victim turn the head and run the water from the nose away from the eye to prevent the chemical from running into the other eye. 4. Loosely cover the area with dry, sterile bandages.

33. Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • A joint is the point where two bones meet. • Ligaments are the fibers that connect bones together. • Tendons are tough tissue fibers that connect muscles to bones.

34. Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • Injuries involving muscles, bones, and joints are common in teens. • The most common injuries are fractures, dislocations, sprains, and strains.

35. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • How to use splints  • A splint is material or a device used to protect and immobilize a body part. • A splint only should be used when you need to move a victim without emergency help and need to keep an injured body part immobile, and only if it does not hurt the victim.

36. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • First aid when using a splint 1. Call the local emergency number for a life-threatening injury. 2. Attempt to splint the injury in the position you find it to immobilize the injured part. A splint for an injured bone must include the joints above and below the injured bone. A splint for an injured joint must include the bones above and below the injured joint. 3. Check circulation to ensure that the splint is not too tight.

37. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • What to do for fractures  • A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. • An open fracture is a fracture in which there is a break in the skin. • A closed fracture is a fracture in which there is no break in the skin. • The signs of a fracture include pain, swelling, loss of movement, and deformity.

38. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • First aid for fractures 1. Call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately. 2. Treat for bleeding and shock. 3. Keep the injured part from moving. Use a splint when appropriate. 4. Keep a victim with a head injury immobile. 5. Apply ice to the injured area to prevent swelling. 6. Follow universal precautions while controlling bleeding.

39. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • What to do for dislocations • Dislocation is the movement of a bone from its joint. • Dislocations often are accompanied by stretched ligaments. • The signs of a dislocation are pain, swelling upon movement, loss of movement, and deformity.

40. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • First aid for a dislocation 1. Call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately. 2. Splint above and below the dislocated joint in the position it was found. Apply cold compresses.

41. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • What to do for sprains • A sprain is an injury to the ligaments, tendons, and soft tissue around a joint caused by undue stretching. • The most common sprain occurs to the ankle, although sprains also may affect the knee, wrist, finger, shoulder, or spine. • The signs of a sprain include pain that increases with movement or weight bearing, tenderness, and swelling.

42. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • First aid for sprains 1. Follow the PRICE treatment. 2. The victim should not be allowed to walk if there is a leg injury. 3. Immobilize the area and get prompt medical help if a fracture is suspected.

43. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries The PRICE Treatment The PRICE Treatment is described below. • Protect: Protect the injured part by keeping it still. • Rest:  Rest the injured part for 24 to 72 hours. More rest is required for severe injuries. Do not exercise the injured area until healing is complete. • Ice:  Apply cold water, a cold compress, or an ice pack for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury occurs.

44. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries The PRICE Treatment The PRICE Treatment is described below. • Compression: Wrap the injury with a bandage to limit swelling. Swelling causes more pain and slows healing. The bandage should not be compressed so tight that it restricts blood flow. Remove the wrap periodically and check the area. • Elevation:  Raise the injured body part above heart level to reduce swelling and to help drain blood and fluid from the area.

45. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • What to do for strains • A strain is an overstretching of muscles and/or tendons. • A strain is commonly referred to as a pulled muscle. • One of the most common strains involves the muscles of the back. • Signs of strain include pain, swelling, stiffness, and firmness to the area.

46. What to Know About First Aid for Muscle, Bone, and Joint Injuries • First aid for strains 1. Follow the PRICE treatment. 2. Get prompt medical help for a severe strain.

47. Cold Temperature-Related Illnesses • Cold temperature-related illnesses are conditions that result from exposure to low temperatures. • The most common cold temperature-related emergencies are frostbite and hypothermia.

48. First Aid for Cold Temperature-Related Illnesses • What to do for frostbite  • Frostbite is the freezing of body parts, often the tissues of the extremities. • People exposed to subfreezing temperatures or snow are at risk for developing frostbite. • Signs of frostbite include numbness in the affected area, a waxy, discolored appearance to the skin, and skin that is cold to the touch.

49. First Aid for Cold Temperature-Related Illnesses • First aid for frostbite • For mild frostbite, rewarm the affected area in lukewarm water. • For severe frostbite, call the local emergency number and obtain medical care immediately. • Take the following steps if medical help is not available.

50. First Aid for Cold Temperature-Related Illnesses • First aid for frostbite 1. Remove any clothing or jewelry that interferes with circulation. Handle the affected area gently. 2. Soak the affected body part in water that has a temperature between 100°F and 105°F. Test the water by having someone who has not been exposed to the cold, place his or her hand in the water. Water that is too warm for that person’s hand is too warm to use on the victim. Warming usually takes 25 to 40 minutes, until the tissues are soft.