1. Everyone Should Know First Aid
Chapter 1
Everyone Should Know First Aid

2. Emergency Medical System (EMS)
Your role in the EMS system includes 4 basic steps
Recognize an emergency exists
Decide to act
Activate the EMS system
Give care until help arrives

3. Step 1 Recognizing an emergency
Unusual sights
Unusual appearances or behaviors
Unusual odors
Unusual noises

4. Step 2 Decide to Act In order to help in an emergency you must act
Most common reasons why people don’t help
The presence of other people
Being unsure of the ill or injured person’s condition
Type of injury or illness
Fear of catching a disease
Fear of doing something wrong
Fear of being sued
Being unsure of when to call 911

5. Step 3 Activate the EMS System
Call 9-1-1
Know your local emergency numbers

6. Getting Permission
Before giving care to a conscious adult you must permission “consent”
Identify yourself
Tell them what you are trained in
What you think is wrong
What you plan on doing
If they refuse care at least notify 9-1-1
If they are unconscious or can not respond consent is implied

7. Step 4 Give Care Until Help Arrives
Examples
CPR/First Aid
Making victim comfortable
Meet EMS out at the curb
Direct traffic
Keep onlookers away

8. Getting permission
Conscious Child or infant you need permission from a parent or guardian.
If a parent refuses notify 9-1-1
If a parent is not present and the situation is life threaten consent is implied

9. How Disease Spreads
Infectious diseases spread from person to person by bacteria and viruses
Bacteria can live outside the body
Viruses live on other organisms, once in the body they are hard to remove
They are spread through touching breathing and biting

10. If you touch an infected person blood or bodily fluid with an open wound, cut, or cracked skin, you can be infected
Common cold
Breathing in droplets in the air, someone sneezing
Touching objects that have been exposed to droplets

11. Animal or human bites
Getting a disease this way is rare
Some may give you flu a like disease
Can create discomfort but often temporary
Usually not serious for healthy adults

12. Others are more Serious
Hepatitis B (HBV)
Hepatitis C (HCV)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
These are not easily transmitted
Blood to blood contact

13. HIV, AIDS and You AIDS is caused by HIV Damages the immune system
Many don’t know they have it
They don’t look or feel sick
AIDS eventually develops into infections which lead to death
Currently there is no vaccine

14. Transmission During First Aid
Unprotected direct contact with infected blood
Blood splashes in responder’s eye
Touching infected person’s body fluids
Unprotected indirect contact with infected blood
Touching contaminated objects

15. Precautions Risk of transmission during first aid is low
Give care in ways that protect you and the victim
Wash hands before and after giving care
Wear protective gear and use barriers
Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids
Dispose properly of all material used in giving care

16. Cleaning up Blood Spills
Clean up immediately
Use disposable gloves and protective equipment
Use paper towel
Use a chlorine/water solution to clean
Wait 10 minutes
Dispose of all contaminated material

17. Good Samaritan Laws All 50 states have it
Protects people who provide care without accepting anything in return
Protects citizens who act the in a reasonable and prudent manner

18. Examples Move a person only if their life is in danger
Ask permission before giving care
Check for life-threatening conditions before giving further care
Call 9-1-1
Continue to give care until trained personnel arrive

19. Protection in Lawsuits
Non-professional who responds to emergencies (lay responder) is rarely sued for helping in an emergency
Good Samaritan laws protect responders from financial responsibility

20. You are not protected Abandoning a victim after starting care
Reckless responders
Taking unnecessary measures to give care
Negligent responders
Moving a person without cause