Emergency Stop: First Aid Procedures

First aid is the immediate, temporary care given to a person who has experienced a sudden illness or injury. In the primary first-aid procedure, remember that the first step is to keep yourself protected from harm by making sure the scene of the incident is safe, and by wearing protective gear, like latex gloves, before coming in contact with a victim's fluids. Secondary first-aid procedures are those that are administered for specific illness and injuries. It still is temporary care in most cases; therefore, you would still call emergency medical services to follow up on any secondary first-aid procedures you give to a person.

In this topic, you learned the most efficient ways to care for common emergencies. Some examples of life threatening situations include poisoning, respiratory obstruction, severe bleeding, elevated body temperature, heart attack, stroke, burns, and some head, neck, and back injuries. These emergencies arise unexpectedly, and it is important to know what to do, and where to go for help. Some community resources that can help are your local broadcast and weather stations, local businesses, emergency care facilities, schools, churches, and local health departments.