Danger Response Airway Breathing Circulation
This guidance may seem cold-hearted. However, the reality of the situation is that it’s useless to attempt to help an injured person if you are only going to injure yourself in the process. For example, if the victim is in a precarious place or in a situation with a dangerous animal, you should first take steps to make the situation more safe before you conduct a head to toe exam.
Ask the individual to tell you his name, where he is at, what the date is and what he was doing before he was injured. If he can answer you properly, he is conscious. If not, there is a possibility he has suffered some cognitive damage.
Clasping hands around his neck. Struggling to breathe. It is useless—and potentially harmful—to administer mouth-to-mouth breathing (also known as “rescue breathing”) if the victim’s airway is blocked.
If the victim is struggling to breathe but their airway is not obstructed, tilt their head back and lift their chin. This will open the airway as much as possible. If the victim is not breathing at all, begin giving him cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Once you have stopped the flow of blood, you should treat the victim for shock. Have them lie down in a safe place, then cover them with a blanket (or jacket) and elevate their feet about 4 inches. This will cause blood to flow to their head and reduce the symptoms of shock.
If the victim was hurt within view of others, ask witnesses to describe what happened. Use context clues to determine what injuries the victim could have sustained. For example, if the victim fell while rock climbing, fractured bones are likely.
“Do you have any relevant allergies?” “Do you take any prescribed medications?” “Do you have any existing medical conditions that would affect this incident?” “When was the last time that you ate a meal? What did you eat?”
Ask specific questions: where does the victim feel pain? At what point did the pain start?
Unless you have medical qualifications, you should note and record this information in order to pass it on to medical personnel when they arrive. The information you track in a Secondary survey will probably not reveal any immediately life-threatening problems. However, your observations could still provide emergency personnel with valuable information that will aid the victim’s recovery.
If the body fluids of an infected individual enter through a break in your skin, there is a possibility of contracting a disease, so barrier protection is critical. You should use nitrile or latex gloves, which will protect your hands from touching blood and feces. However, if you or the victim has a latex allergy, opt for nitrile. There are also vinyl gloves, which can be included in first aid kits and also will protect you from blood and feces. They are not as robust as the other types of gloves and tear more easily, but feel free to use them, especially if your victim has no open wounds or exposed body fluids. You can also improvise gloves with plastic bags, dish gloves, or leather work gloves. [10] X Research source
Whisper in his ear to check for hearing loss. Check his nose for any breaks or drainage. Observe the patient’s mouth for cuts, broken teeth, and blood. Prepare to relay all of this information to the EMTs or ambulance personnel.
If the victim is bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound, using a clean piece of cloth. If the cloth gets soaked with blood, do not remove it. Instead, apply another cloth on top of it. Take note of the color and temperature of his skin, as it may be abnormally hot or cold.
Listen for a strong heartbeat and any abnormal sounds such as wheezing, as these may be signs of inner damage. Report any abnormal sounds to the emergency personnel.
Place your head close to the abdomen and listen for any abnormal sounds, such as gurgling.
If the victim complains of pain, or you notice abnormal signs, pass this information on to the emergency personnel.
Check the pulse at the wrist: make sure that the pulse is present and regular. If the victim’s pulse feels weak or beats irregularly or slowly, pass this information to the emergency personnel.
Ask the person if they feel any pain when pressing. Do not press on areas where there is obvious protrusion of the bone, as it can do more damage.
