First Aid
Basic First Aid
If the situation is safe for you to help:
Assess Airway, Breathing, and Circulation FIRST
If any of these are weakened, call 911 immediately
Scrapes and Cuts
Scrapes are the most common type of wound caused by skin that has been rubbed or scraped away. Cuts may have either jagged or smooth edges and are commonly caused by sharp-edged objects. Cuts usually bleed freely. Dirt and other matter can easily become ground into the wound, which is why it is especially important to clean the wound. Any open wound can become infected if not kept clean.
To prevent infection, keep the wound clean, soak it in warm water, apply an antibiotic ointment and change the dressings daily. Signs of infection include: warmth and redness, throbbing pain and discharge of pus. If there is a fever or red streaks from the wound to the heart, seek medical attention immediately.
Bruises
A bruise happens when damage to soft tissues and blood vessels causes bleeding under the skin. Tissues discolor and swell. New bruises are often darker and more purple in color. As the blood under the skin gets absorbed back into your tissues, the bruise will start to fade and changes colors before disappearing fully.
Rest, Immobilize, Cold, and Elevation to the area will reduce swelling and bleeding under the skin.
Remember - R I C E
Sprains, Strains, and Splints
A sprain is a tearing of the ligaments at a joint. A mild sprain will swell, but heal quickly if rested and allowed to heal properly. A strain is a stretching or tearing of muscles or tendons often caused by lifting something heavy. If the victim’s head, neck or back is injured, do not move the victim and call 911. If the injury is elsewhere, you can splint the body part using folded cloths, blankets, magazines or even another body part.
Burns
Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Reapply often, especially if sweating or swimming.
Use caution in the kitchen, by the fireplace, grill, or fire pit, and around other hot objects.
The care for burns involves the following four basic steps:
Stop the Burning – put out flames or remove victim from the source of the burn
Call Fast – call 911 as soon as possible
Cool the Burn – use large amounts of cool water to cool the burned area. Do not use ice.
Cover the Burn – use dry, sterile dressings or a clean cloth to loosely cover. Covering the burn helps keep out air and reduces pain.
Choking
When a child is choking, it means that an object — usually food or a toy — is stuck in the trachea (the airway). When this happens, air can't flow normally into or out of the lungs, so the child can't breathe properly.
A child may be choking and need help right away if he or she:
can't breathe
is gasping or wheezing
can't talk, cry, or make noise
turns blue
grabs at his or her throat or waves arms
appears panicked
becomes limp or unconscious
In these cases, if you've been trained, immediately start abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver), the standard rescue procedure for choking.
What Should I Do?
Call 911 for any serious choking situation.
Here are several possible situations you might face and tips on how to handle them:
If a child is choking and coughing but can breathe and talk:
This means the airway is not completely blocked. It's best to do nothing. Watch the child carefully and make sure he or she recovers completely. The child will likely be fine after a good coughing spell.
Don't reach into the mouth to grab the object or even pat the child on the back. Either of these steps could push the object farther down the airway and make the situation worse.
Stay with the child and remain calm until the episode passes.
If a child is conscious but can't breathe, talk, or make noise, or is turning blue:
The situation calls for abdominal thrusts.
Call 911 or tell someone nearby to call 911 immediately.
Begin the thrusts if you've been trained to do so.
If you haven't been trained, and no one else is available who has been, wait until help arrives.
If the child was choking and is now unconscious and no longer breathing:
Shout for help and call 911, or tell someone nearby to call 911 immediately.
Start CPR right away, if you've been trained in it.
If you have not been trained, and no one else is available who has been, wait until help arrives.
When Should I Call the Doctor or Go to the ER?
After any major choking episode, a child needs to go to the ER.
Get emergency medical care for a child if:
The child has a lasting cough, drooling, gagging, wheezing, trouble swallowing, or trouble breathing.
The child turned blue, became limp, or was unconscious during the episode, even if he or she seemed to recover.
You think the child has swallowed an object, such as a toy or battery.
If a child had an episode that seemed like choking but fully recovered after a coughing spell, there is no need to get emergency medical care, but you should call your doctor.
To help prevent choking:
Avoid foods that pose choking risks (like hot dogs, grapes, raw carrots, nuts, raisins, hard or gummy candy, spoonfuls of peanut butter, chunks of meat or cheese, and popcorn), which are a similar size and shape as a child's airway.
At mealtime, be sure to serve a child's food in small bites. That means cutting whole grapes into quarters, cutting hot dogs lengthwise and into pieces (and remove the tough skin), and cooking vegetables rather than serving them raw. Teach kids to sit down for all meals and snacks and not to talk or laugh with food in their mouths.
Toys and household items also can be choking hazards — beware of deflated balloons, coins, beads, small toy parts, and batteries. Get down on the floor often to check for objects that kids who are learning to walk or crawl could put in their mouths and choke on.
Choose safe, age-appropriate toys. Always follow the manufacturer's age recommendations — some toys have small parts that can cause choking. To determine if a toy is too small, see if it passes easily through an empty cardboard toilet paper tube. If it does, it's too small.
Call 911 for any serious choking situation.