Checking an Ill or Injured Person

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Checking an Ill or Injured Person

• Chapter 3

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When checking an ill or injured person

• If you are not sure whether someone is
  unconscious, tap him or her on the shoulder and
  ask if they are ok.
• Use the persons name if you know it
• Speak loudly
• Infant
• Tap the bottom of their foot and/or
• Tap the infants shoulders
• Shout to see if the infant responds

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Steps to take when checking

• Interview the person and bystanders
• Remember to get consent
• Keep interviews simple and ask questions to learn
  more about what happened
• What happened?
• Do you feel pain or discomfort anywhere?
• Do you have any allergies?
• Do you have any medical conditions or are you
  taking any medicine?

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Check the person from head to toe

• When checking a conscious person
• Do not move areas in which they have discomfort
• Check the persons head by examining the scalp,
  face, nose, ears, and mouth
• Look for cuts, bruises, or bumps
• Watch for changes in consciousness
• Look for changes in the persons breathing
• Notice how the skin looks and feels
• Look for a medical alert tag

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Check the person from head to toe

• Checking an unconscious person
• Look, Listen, and Feel
• Do this for no longer than 10 seconds
• Think of the ABCs
• Airway open the airway
• Head-tilt / Chin-lift
• Breathing check for movement or breathing
• Give 2 rescue breaths child/infant only
• Circulation check for signs of life
• Begin CPR
• 2 rescue breaths

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Shock

• When the body is healthy, 3 conditions are needed
  to keep the right amount of blood flowing
• 1. The heart must be working well
• 2. An adequate amount of oxygen-rich blood must
  be circulating in the body
• 3. The blood vessels must be intact and able to
  adjust blood flow.
• SHOCK is a condition in which the circulatory
  system fails to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the
  bodys tissues and vital organs.

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Shock

• When the body's organs, dont receive this blood,
  they fail to function properly.
• This triggers shock
• Signals of shock
• Restlessness or irritability
• Altered level of consciousness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pale, ashen, cool, moist skin
• Rapid breathing and pulse
• Excessive thirst

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Caring For Shock

• 1. Call 911 or the local emergency number
  immediately
• Shock can not be managed effectively by first aid
  alone.
• 2. Have the person lie down
• This is often the most comfortable position.
• Helping the person rest comfortably is important
  because pain can intensify the bodys stress and
  speed up the progression of shock.
• 3. Control any external bleeding
• Elevate the persons legs about 12 inches, unless
  you suspect head, neck, or back injuries

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Do not

• Give the person anything to eat or drink, even
  though they will be thirsty.
• Shock may require surgery and its best for the
  stomach to be empty