Entries by Matt
Diabetic Emergencies A diabetic emergency is a situation in which a victim is ill due to a problem with their blood sugar. Any victim with an altered mental status should always be evaluated for a potential diabetic emergency. Persons with diabetes are unable to properly regulate or manage their blood sugar levels. A victim may [...]
Fainting Fainting is an occurrence were an individual looses consciousness. Fainting may be an indication of a serious medical condition. Many times however a person faints after standing or moving too quickly; or after standing without moving for a long period of time. This occurs due the capacity of the heart not meeting the demand [...]
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Heart Attack A heart attack is a life threatening medical emergency in which the heart muscle suffers an event in which part of the heart is damaged or dies. A person having a heart attack may have chest discomfort, pain, or pressure; discomfort in the upper body including the arms, back, neck, or jaw; shortness [...]
Allergic Reactions Allergic reactions can range from minor to life threatening. Many people have allergies to environmental substances, bee stings, and foods (such as peanuts). All allergic reactions have the potential to become life threatening. Signs of a serious allergic reaction include: red raised itchy skin, trouble breathing, swelling of the tongue and face, and [...]
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Breathing Problems Any person suffering from severe difficulty breathing should be treated as suffering from a life threatening condition. The body requires oxygen to work properly. Signs of severe breathing difficulty include: an inability to speak in complete sentences; has noisy breathing; irregular breathing rate, rhythm, or quality; or is turning blue. People with breathing [...]
First Aid is the initial medical care delivered to a person in emergency need before the arrival of more qualified rescuers and healthcare professionals. Anytime you provide first aid you should remember to protect yourself FIRST, then care for the victim. Your personal safety is the #1 priority. When providing care do your best with [...]
Choking is a common medical occurrence and typically does not require emergency intervention. Rescuers should initiate care in cases of severe choking such as when a person is unable speak, makes the universal choking sign, or is turning blue. When witnessing someone believed to be in severe choking you should ask them if they are [...]
1:) Hairy Chest: If the victim has a hairy chest you will need to remove the hair prior to placing the AED pads on the victims chest. You may do this with a razor that is typically found with an AED or by attaching one set of AED pads and pulling them off forcibly removing [...]
Automated External Defibrillator’s (or AED’s) are devices that treat the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest by delivering a electrical shock to a persons body. What an AED treats is an abnormal heart rhythm called Ventricular Fibrillation (or V-Fib) that causes the heart to stop circulating blood. V-Fib is a heart condition in which [...]
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Healthcare Provider Considerations: Healthcare Providers when performing CPR should consider the following considerations: Use of BVM or Bag Value Mask: A bag valve mask is a device that is commonly used in healthcare settings to deliver rescue breathing to person who is not breathing or is breathing ineffectively. A BVM delivers positive pressure ventilation and [...]
Mouth to Mask Breathing is the delivery of rescue breaths through a barrier mask to protect the rescuer from becoming exposed to the victims bodily fluids. Barriers devices such as a pocket mask should be used to provide rescue breathing when available and delivering rescue breaths. Pocket Masks are usually made of plastic and contain [...]
ABC’s of Life for Children (1 to Puberty): Airway: Same as an Adult except look in the airway for a potential choking object that potentially could be removed. Breathing: Same as an Adult. If giving rescue breaths, give a lower volume of air when giving breaths. Give just enough breath to see the chest rise. [...]
Due to children and infants going into cardiac arrest most likely to respiratory cause; one must consider the value of outside resources in the life saving effort. You should recognize that time is the enemy, especially in pediatric victims, and delay in treatment or care may result in a poor outcome. The sooner care is [...]
Defining a child: A child is a victim who is over the age of 1 and up to the age of puberty. Puberty is defined as breast development in females and underarm or facial hair in males. Puberty is used as the establishment of adulthood as developmental changes may effect aspects of CPR. In addition [...]
Rib Fracture: While performing CPR, rib fracture is common. You may feel ribs break, feel or hear bone rubbing on bone, or see free floating ribs on the victims chest. Chest compressions should continue without delay or modification. If the person survives the cardiac arrest their ribs will heal. Saving their life out weighs the [...]
Checking For A Pulse: Layperson rescuers should not check for a pulse while performing CPR. The average person has little practice in obtaining a pulse therefore it is unrealistic to expect accuracy during an emergency situation. You should assume that unless the victim wakes up during your assessment or shows signs of life during CPR [...]
The fundamental principle of CPR is that we want blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body at all times. Circulation equates to potentially prolonging and mitigating cellular injury and death. The primary intervention to be performed for circulation is Chest Compressions. Chest Compressions circulate blood and oxygen. When performing CPR with rescue breathing, give 30 [...]
Mouth to Mouth breathing is considered the easiest and most readily available option as it does not require any special equipment to perform. Mouth to Mouth breathing is performed by opening the victims airway (head-tilt/chin-lift), covering the victims mouth completely with your mouth, pinching the victims nose (to keep the oxygen from escaping back out [...]
ABC’s of Life A = Airway, B = Breathing, C = Circulation Breathing: While maintaining an open airway, lower your head down and LOOK at the victims chest, LISTEN for coming out the victims mouth and nose, and FEEL for movement on the victims chest. You should Look, Listen, and Feel for 5 to 10 [...]
ABC’s of Life A = Airway, B = Breathing, C = Circulation Airway: When a person becomes unconscious, they loose all muscle tone. The tongue being a muscle relaxes and may block the airway (trachea/windpipe) of the victim. The tongue is the most common cause of airway obstruction in an unconscious adult. To mitigate this [...]
Matthew A. Carter is the Lead Developer and Editor of FirstAidReference.com. Matt is an Emergency Medical Technician and nationally recognized EMS Educator & CPR Instructor. He has extensive public safety experience and has trained and certified thousands of individuals in the topics of CPR, First Aid, and Emergency Medical Services working across the United States.