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Ch. 1-Introduction to
First Aid Care
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1.1 What Is First Aid?
The principal aims of first aid are to
 Recognize life-threatening situations
 Activate the EMS system
 Supply artificial ventilation and circulation
when needed
 Control bleeding
 Care for other life-threatening conditions
 Minimize further injury and complications
 Prevent infection
 Make the victim as comfortable as possible
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. First aid is the ____________ care given to a person who is
injured or suddenly becomes ill. (first/basic/temporary)
2. One of the primary principles of first aid is to
____________.
(activate the EMS system/drive the patient to the hospital/care
for all wounds yourself)
3. A goal of first aid is to minimize____________.
(complications/pain/need for additional care)
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1.2 General Procedures
1. Observe the accident scene as you approach it.
2. Keep yourself and others at the scene safe.
3. Gain access to the victim(s) and determine any
immediate threats to life.
4. Provide basic life support to those whose lives are
threatened.
5. Summon more advanced medical help if needed.
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Arranging for Medical Assistance
(Activating the EMS System)
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The exact location of the victim
The phone number where you can be
reached
Any information about the victim that will
help the dispatcher
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. You should provide basic life support first to ____________.
(victims of cardiac arrest/victims who are bleeding/the most
seriously injured)
2. During the first few minutes after an accident, you should
activate ____________. (bystanders/the EMS
system/additional caregivers)
3. If you are alone, you should provide rescue support to a
child for ____________ before telephoning for help. (1
minute/2 minutes/5 minutes)
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1.3 Aspects of First Aid
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First Aider Skills
Legal Aspects of First Aid
Controversies in First Aid Care
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Legal Aspects of First Aid
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Duty to Act
Good Samaritan Laws
“Reasonable-Man” Test
Right to Refuse Care
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. Duty to act means you have a _________ to give aid.
(responsibility/legal obligation/choice)
2. The “reasonable-man” test shows that you acted as a
normal, prudent person would have acted under the
____________. (same circumstances/law)
3. ____________ means you acted with carelessness,
inattention, disregard, or oversight.
(Imprudence/Negligence/Recklessness)
4. Every competent adult has the right to give ____________
to treatment. (approval/permission/consent)
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1.4 Infectious Disease
Transmission
For disease to spread, three things must happen:
1. Infecting organisms, such as bacteria and viruses,
must survive outside their host—an infected person,
an animal, or an insect.
2. The infecting organism must then move from one
place to another.
3. The infecting organism must then invade a new
person’s body and begin to multiply there.
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Identifying Infectious Diseases
A victim with any of the following should be
considered infectious:
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A rash or skin lesion
An open sore
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Headache with stiff
neck
Yellowish skin or eyes
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Coughing or sneezing
Draining or oozing
wounds
Profuse sweating
Abdominal pain
Identifying Infectious Diseases
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Not all patients who are infectious will
show outward signs of disease. You should
avoid all contact will all body fluids from
patients – regardless of whether they
appear sick.
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Vocabulary
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Good Samaritan laws- Laws that protect health care
personnel and provide guidelines for care
Negligence- Acting with carelessness, inattention,
disregard, inadvertence, or avoidable oversight
“Reasonable-man” test- Did the First Aider act the same
way a normal, prudent person with similar training would
have acted under the same circumstances?
Actual consent- Informed consent
Implied consent- Assumption that a victim of lifethreatening injury or illness would give consent
Minor’s consent- The right of consent given to a parent or
guardian
Infectious disease- A disease that can be
transmitted from one person to another or from
an insect or animal to a person14
Bloodborne Pathogens
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Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
HIV
Herpes
Tuberculosis
Meningitis
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. To prevent the risk of bloodborne infection, you
should always wear _________ when caring for a
victim.
(a face mask/a gown/protective gloves)
2. Use a ____________ when giving mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation.
(face mask/pocket mask/face shield)
3. The best protection against disease you have is to
____________ after giving treatment.
(wash your hands/take an antibiotic/use antiseptic)
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1.5 Safety at the Scene
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Fire
Unstable Structures
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Electrical Hazards
Water
Hostility and Violence
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. Your first priority at the scene of an accident is ____________.
(reaching the victim/staying safe/preventing further injury to the
victim)
2. You should call the fire department in case of ____________.
(any fire/a fire that is out of control/a fire that is creating toxic
fumes)
3. One of the greatest threats to safety from a motor vehicle
accident is ____________. (fire/gasoline fumes/oncoming
traffic)
4. You can touch a downed power line __________.
(with a stick/if you are wearing rubber-soled boots/only after the
power company has turned off the power)
5. If a victim is hostile, _______________________.
(restrain the victim yourself/have bystanders help you
restrain the victim/call the police)
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