FIRST AID REVISION NOTES

AIM OF FIRST AIDER Preserve Life

Protect the Patient

Prevent further injury

Promote recovery

INITIAL ASSESSMENT Check for DANGER

Check for RESPONSE

SEEK HELP – call for ambulance

Check for OPEN AIRWAY. If not open place the patient on their side
to clear airway

Check for BREATHING – no breathing and unconscious

Commence COMPRESSIONS 30 Compressions followed by 2

breaths. DEFRIBILLATION as soon as possible

CALLING FOR HELP Call as soon as possible

Call 000 or 112 if 000 is not working

Provide EXACT ADDRESS, NEAREST CROSS STREET, PATIENT

DETAILS, NATURE OF INJURIES, IS PATIENT CONSCIOUS

Speak slowly and clearly and listen carefully to any information

1
 being repeated by the operator.

RESPONSE AFTER EMERGENCIES Remain calm during incident

Remember you may be affected by the emergency in a number of

ways

Seek assistance after stressful incidents

Early Access – Check Danger, response, breathing & call for

ambulance

Early CPR – No breathing commence CPR as soon as possible after

calling the ambulance

Early Defibrillation – Place on defibrillator as soon as possible while

CPR has commenced. Remove clothing from chest, ensure patient is
not on wet surface, dry patient is necessary, shave chest if
necessary, no jewelry near electrodes, no shock near inflammable
gas and continue CPR for 2 minutes after shock and machine will
reassess.

Assist the ambulance in Advanced Critical Life Support

IDENTIFING INJURIES – TOOLS TO USE HISTORY - Your observations, bystander and patients
observations, patient injury and accident history

SIGNS – What we SEE, HEAR, SMELL and FEEL

SYMPTOMS – What can the patient tell us

2
CONSIDER THE HISTORY OF THE INCIDENT AND PATIENT HISTORY AND THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY OF SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND
TREATMENT

ILLNESS OR INJURY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS TREATMENT

HEART ATTACK Chest pain, pain in shoulder, jaw, arm or Ring for ambulance, Place in a comfortable
neck, shortness of breath position – normally sitting

CARDIAC ARREST No signs of life i.e. No Normal Breathing – give 2 rescue

breaths
Unconscious
After breaths still no normal breathing or
Unresponsive signs of life – 30 compressions and 2
breaths.
Not Moving
Rate of compressions 100 / minute
No sign of normal breathing
That is approximately 5 lots of 30 x 2 in 2
minutes

Depth of compression 1/3 of chest depth

STROKE (Brain Attack) General weakness down one side of the Ring for ambulance. Place in a comfortable
body, confusion and headache. Short term position – normally sitting
memory loss

EPILEPSY Collapse followed by jerking movements – Protect from danger. Move objects they may
muscle spasm. hit. After fit DRABC and place in the
recovery position if breathing. Reassure and
monitor

DIABETES Pale clammy, cold and skin, Weak and rapid If conscious give sugar, preferably in liquid
pulse, confusion, appear drunk, aggressive form. If unconscious call for ambulance

3
ASTHMA Wheezing and shortness of breath Sit up and reassure. Assist with medication.
Use spacer – one puff every four breaths –
repeat four times

Repeat every four minutes until ambulance

arrives

ANAPHYLATICS Swelling of face especially around mouth, Rest the victim

throat and eyes
(SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION) If they have no medication and are known
Redness of the skin or itchy rash to be allergic and suffering breathing
difficulties an Asthma Spray may be used
Nausea or vomiting
If they have an EPI pen (or another auto
Breathing difficulty injector) assist to administer to medication
to the thigh
Dizziness, feeling faint, weakness or
collapse

SHOCK Weak rapid pulse Reassure

Pale cold and clammy skin If injuries permit lie them down

Faint Cover if they get cold

BLEEDING In general Pressure, immobilisation and rest

NOSE BLEED Bright red blood from nose Sit up, head forward and pinch soft part of
the nose

AMPUTATION Body part missing Stop bleeding. Place body part in sealed, air
tight plastic bag and float in icy water

EMBEDDED OBJECT Foreign Object stuck into the body Leave object in body. Apply a ring (donut)
bandage around object. Bandage using

4
 roller bandage in figure of eight

INTERNAL BLEEDING Tenderness in abdomen area, swelling, Lay on back if conscious. Raise knees and
increasing shock elevate head and shoulders if possible

FRACTURES (Broken Bones) Pain, deformity, restricted or excessive Immobilise in a position of comfort for the
movement, swelling, crepitus (bone casualty
scrapping)

SHOULDER, COLLAR BONE, AC JOINT Unable to lift arm. Pain & deformity Elevation sling or immobilise in comfortable
position

UPPER ARM Collar and Cuff sling

LOWER ARM & WRIST Splint, secure above and below fracture and
arm sling

RIBS Pain in rib area. Pain when breathing Elevation Sling, Padding over injured area,
immobilise with slings around waist and
place half sitting injured side down

LEGS Deformity, pain, leg may be shorter Immobilise in a position of comfort using
padding if necessary and call ambulance. Do
not close reduce fracture, pad between legs,
secure good leg onto injured with triangular
bandages

SKULL OR CONCUSSION Cerebral Spinal fluid (straw coloured) from In position with head raised and injured
ear of nose, short term memory loss, vision side down. If in reasonable condition keep
problems, headache, dizzy under observation for at least four hours,
avoid alcohol, and check short term memory
on regular basis, no driving and no sleep. If

5
 in doubt get to hospital

SPRAINS & STRAINS (SOFT TISSUE) Pain and swelling. Excessive movement Rest Injury

DISLOCATIONS Unable to move joint normally Apply Ice 15 minutes every 2 hours 24
hours 15 minutes every 4 hours next 24
hours

Compression over ice and later to support

joint and reduce swelling

Elevation – elevate well above the heart to

reduce swelling

BURNS Partial thickness skin red but intact General – Running water for 10 minutes,
Chemicals running water 15 minutes,
Intermediate thickness first layer of skin Moulton material 20 minutes.
destroyed
Remove clothing except clothing stuck to
Full thickness both layers and nervous the body.
tissue destroyed
Remove watches and jewellery

Elevate injured area

After cooling cover with sterile non-stick

bandage

WELDERS FLASH Sore eyes similar to sand in eye Cover with cool pads and lightly bandage
both eyes

6
ELECTRICAL BURNS Burn entrance and exit If power lines nearby keep all bystanders
away. Cool with water. Treat both entrance
and exit wounds and in between both
points. Anticipate strong possibility of
cardiac arrest

COLD BURNS FROST BITE White waxy appearing skin Warm with body heat only

POISON GENERAL Vomiting, Nausea, Delirious, Stomach Pains Find out what poison and ring Poison,
Information Centre 13 11 26

BITES THAT KILL Snake, Funnel Web Spider, Cone Shell, Blue Pressure Immobilisation. Apply pad at bite
ringed Octopus, Allergic Reactions site, pressure bandage from bite site all the
way up the limb to the glands and
immobilise the limb with triangular
bandages

LAND BASED BITES AND JELLY FISH Bees, wasps, ants, red back and other Ice pack. Bee stings scrap sting out. Blue
spiders, ticks etc Bottle remove tail, rinse with sea water and
cold pack

SEA BASED BITES Fish Barbs, Sting Ray, Stone Fish, Platypus Soak in Hot Water approximately 43 deg.

Blue Bottles Rinse off with sea water and remove

tentacles’. Use hot water if available or an
ice pack if hot water is not available or is not
providing pain relief

7
EXPOSURE – HYPOTHERMIA Pale cold skin, increasing lethargy, tired, Get to shelter, remove damp clothing, cover
lack of muscular co-ordination, body including head and feet, gentle and
uncommunicative, poor judgment & gradually rewarm, do not rub or massage,
shivering share body heat and give lukewarm sweet
drinks

EXPOSURE – HYPERTHERMIA

DEHYDRATION Pale cold clammy skin, rapid breathing, Shade, remove unnecessary clothing, cool
profuse prolonged sweating, thirst, loss of water
elasticity & sunken eyes in children

Pale cold clammy skin, rapid breathing,

profuse prolonged sweating, cramps, thirst, Shade and rest, remove unnecessary
HEAT EXHAUSTION clothing, cool with water, give water to
nausea, headache and exhaustion and
lethargy drink, ice near glands

Flushed hot dry skin, ceased sweating, rapid

pulse, irrational aggressive behavior,
Call ambulance, rest in shade, remove
fatigue, vomiting and collapse
clothing, cool with ice to neck, groin and
HEAT STROKE armpits, cover with a wet sheet and fan.