Frequently asked first aid training questions

Whether you’re embarking on first aid training as a compulsory requirement for your business or employment, or whether you’re doing it to become a more informed and competent human being, you may have a few questions. Emcare offers a variety of comprehensive first aid training courses, presented by fully qualified instructors who will ensure that your training is effective, memorable, and certifiable. This short guide will answer some of the frequently asked questions that you may have before starting first aid training.

What are the basic steps of first aid?

According to the Red Cross, there are 5 different steps when it comes to first aid, which refers to the immediate medical assistance administered to an injured/ill individual, until an appropriate professional arrives to the scene.

Step 1, Evaluate: The first step to take before administering any first aid is to step back and assess the scene, attempting to evaluate the following questions:

- What happened?
- How many individuals are involved in the incident?
- Is the scene safe for you to enter?
- The severity of the incident, are there any visible life-threatening concerns/injury?
- Is there a professional nearby who is more equipped than you to assist?

Step 2, Non-life-threatening scenario: If after assessing the scene you conclude that the parties involved are all conscious and that there are no immediate life-threatening injuries/concerns, then follow these steps:

- Before you begin anything, make sure that you obtain consent from the person who is injured, and alert them to your level of training and how you plan to go about administering first aid, asking for their permission.
- Once you have obtained consent from the person, ask someone to fetch a first aid kit as well as the automated external defibrillator (AED).
- Before you administer first aid, equip yourself with the correct personal protective equipment, including gloves if possible.
- The next step is to ask the person questions about their injury and the incident, including information about allergies, pain symptoms, relevant medical history, medications and time frame before incident, as these questions may be relevant to the first aid training you are applying.
- Next conduct a full body check whereby you periodically assess the head and neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, hips, legs, feet, arms and hands, checking for injuries or pain.
- Once you have completed the above and are fully informed on the situation you are able to apply the first aid training you have gathered appropriately to the situation.

Step 3, Unresponsive: If after assessing the scene you find that the individual/s involved is unresponsive or unconscious, you should shout loudly to get their attention and shout their name if you know it. If this doesn’t work then tap the shoulder of the individual if it is a child or adult, but if it is an infant then tap the bottom of the foot. Assess if the person is breathing periodically within a frame of 5-10 seconds, depending on if they are or are not, follow steps four and five respectively.

Step 4, The person is breathing:

- Once you have concluded that the unconscious individual is breathing, you should instruct someone to call the designated emergency response number (usually 911).
- Instruct someone to fetch an AED and a first aid kit.
- Using the same sample questions as in step 2, to assess any relevant information pertaining to the situation, and that may frame your approach in first aid.
- Conduct a full body check, using the same steps as in step two, looking for injuries and important notes.
- If after conducting the full body check you find that the unresponsive person has no obvious injuries, then you need to roll them onto their side into the recovery position.

Step 5, The person is NOT breathing:

- Immediately contact an emergency responder (911) and instruct a bystander to fetch a first aid kit and the AED.
- Move the person so that they are lying face-up on a flat but firm surface such as the floor.
- If you have undergone first aid training then begin administering CPR with compressions, or alternatively use an AED if you are trained.
- You should continue to perform CPR on the individual until they show signs of breathing, or until an emergency response officer arrives to take over the scene.

What is ABC in first aid?

In first aid training you will learn that ABC refers to airway, breathing and circulation. This is normally the first thing that first responders must check for when arriving at a scene. The term ABC in first aid training originates from the St Johns Ambulance who refer to protocol called DR ABC.

The D stands for danger and this means that before you jump straight into attending to an emergency, you need to evaluate the scene and ensure that you yourself are not in any danger. The R stands for response, the section where you check to see if the individual is responsive or not. These two are not included colloquially in the ‘ABC’s of first aid’ because they are always done before the actual first aid is administered.

The A, referring to ‘airways’ is incredibly important because it allows oxygen, which means that when a person is unconscious there is a high possibility that they could have a blocked airway. When a person is unconscious as such, they have no control over their muscles, including the tongue which can sometimes fall back into the mouth and block an airway. In order to resolve this problem, you will need to position the person onto their side with their head up, in the recovery position, which will open the airway.

The B in ABC refers to ‘breathing’, which is the first thing that you should check for when arriving to the scene of an emergency. You will be able to tell if someone is breathing if their chest is moving up and down, and if you can feel moisture coming out of their nose and mouth. You can check this by placing two fingers under their nose to feel for breath.

If you find that the person isn’t breathing well or at all then you will need to move on to C, circulation. You will now need to check for signs of blood circulation and a heartbeat by seeing if the person is moving or coughing, if not they are most probably unconscious. You can check circulation and look for a pulse by placing two fingers onto the persons wrist or on their neck, close to their windpipe.

If you are able to detect a pulse/heartbeat then you should not perform CPR, but should rather ensure that their airways are not blocked or restricted. If the patient has no pulse or sign of circulation, then it is time to administer CPR. This should all be done in conjunction while waiting for a medical professional to arrive.

What are the P’s of first aid?

In first aid training you will learn about the 3 main P’s in first aid, which are essentially a set of goals for first aid. The 3 P’s are:

- Preserve life: to enact the ultimate goal of stopping the injured/suffering individual from dying. This can be done by administering first aid. - Prevent: further injury by ensuring that you do not move the individual unless you need to, in that case you will implement the specific first aid training of how to safely move injured individuals. - Promote recovery: it is also your goal to ensure that you help the person heal and recover from their injuries.

What are the types of first aid?

Standard First aid:

Standard first aid is the most common first aid training because it is required by most employers and provides a comprehensive knowledge of first aid. Standard first aid covers emergency first aid but also covers head, neck and spine injuries as well as wound care.

Emergency first aid:

Emergency first aid training covers life threatening injuries whereby you will need to act immediately. Emergency first aid focuses largely on the ABC components, being airway, breathing and circulation.

Childcare first aid:

The third type of first aid training is specifically for children and is designed for day-care providers, au pairs or anyone who works with children. Childcare first aid covers standard first aid but also goes over childhood safety and illnesses.

What are the top 10 items in a first aid kit?

Emergencies can happen anywhere and there isn’t always a hospital nearby, so you should keep a first aid kit on hand and in your home. While first aid kits range in sizes and items included, there are a few generally accepted items as well as niche ones that cater to specific injuries and emergencies, such as EpiPen’s for allergic reactions. Here is a list of the top ten general items to include in a first aid kit:

1. Surgical scissors: small and sharp.
2. Tweezers: for removing debris or thorns.
3. Disposable gloves: usually latex, to ensure that both you and the patient are protected and that there won’t be any cross-contamination.
4. Sterile dressing pad: for larger wounds that require covering.
5. Gauze roll: to treat wounds including burns, scrapes and cuts.
6. Array of bandages: including plasters, knuckle bandages, butterfly bandages.
7. Antiseptic ointment: to prevent wounds from getting infected.
8. Pain medication: to assist with pain, ensure that the patient is not allergic to any medication.
9. Alcohol swabs: to sterilise the area as well as any equipment needed/used.
10. Safety pins: to fasten bandages.

What is the first aid symbol?

The first aid symbol is a plus sign or cross sign that is usually white on a red or green background. In some cases, the cross will be inside of a circle. Most first aid kits will have recognisable signage indicating first aid.

Where should first aid kits go?

The two most common places to keep a first aid kit is in your home and/or your car. If you have a vehicle then you should always have a first aid kit inside, either in the boot, cubbyhole or under your seat. Wherever you place the first aid kit, it needs to be in a recognisable and easily accessible area. In your home or your office, you need to ensure that all members of the family or employees know where the first aid kit is in the event of an emergency. Consider leaving the first aid kit in the staff room, the break room or at reception, and ensure that you have all the necessary inclusions to treat any and all of those under your care. This means that when creating the first aid kit, ask your employees about any allergies or medical concerns so that you are equipped to handle specific emergencies.