Learning About Emergency Care

Before treatment is undertaken ensure a safe environment

When approaching or assisting an accident or emergency, rescuers need to ensure the safety of themselves and other people before they begin to assist.

Rescuers should ensure they have washed their hands thoroughly and that they have gathered together any first aid equipment they have available to them. If gloves and masks are available (such as in a First Aid kit) they should be used to ensure the rescuer and the victim do not pass disease to each other.

If rescuers do not have first aid equipment another person should be sent immediately to bring assistance and any available equipment. If it is possible medical personnel should be called to the emergency as soon as possible.

Step One: Assess the scene

Ensure the scene is safe for yourself and other people. Look for any sharp objects, overhanging branches or structures, smoke or fire or any thing that may cause further injury. Ask questions of anyone who saw the emergency and find out what happened.

Step Two: Introduce yourself

Remain calm and cautious. Introduce yourself to the casualty and let them know you are going to help them. Be calm, reassuring and positive when talking to the casualty. Position the casualty in a comfortable position.

If the casualty is unconscious call for assistance immediately. The first priority is to take care of the airway – so position the casualty to ensure they are able to breathe. This means straightening the head and neck and tilting if necessary to provide a clear passage of air to the lungs. Exercise extreme care and move the casualty slowly. If a person can not breathe they will not survive.

Step Three: Call emergency personnel

Assess the casualty and call for medical assistance if it is required. Send another person for medical assistance and stay with the casualty.

Step Four: Determine the extent of the injury.

Quickly survey the casualty and determine the extent of the injury.

Step Five: Treat the injury, illness or condition according to your first aid training.

Step Six: Notify any person who would need to be notified eg. Parents, husband or wife, family, school etc. 

The Emergency Approach

Rescuers should approach all accident and emergency scenes with the following priorities in mind:

• D    Danger: remove the danger, or the casualty from danger before proceeding further
• R    Response: determine whether the casualty id conscious
• A    Airway: ensure airway is clear
• B    Breathing: if absent, expired air resuscitation needs to be commenced immediately
• C    Circulation: if absent, cardiopulmonary resuscitation is urgently required.

EAR (Expired air resuscitation) and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) are advanced first aid techniques and training in these techniques is not provided in this course. If you wish to learn EAR and CPR you should undertake training in Senior First Aid with an accredited training provider.

Activity 1

Ask participants to break into pairs for this activity. Read out the scenario and the questions. Spaces are provided in the participants handbook for writing the answers to the questions 

There has been a big cyclone that has passed through the area where you live. Buildings have been destroyed and there is a lot of rubbish all around the town or village. People are just coming out from their houses to inspect the damage and to look for casualties. You leave your house and start walking around with everyone. You notice that the house next to yours has been blown over by the wind and you can hear there is still someone in the house. They are calling out and asking for help for themselves and for another person who has been knocked down by some timber from the roof. There is a lot of rubbish around from the cyclone including roofing iron, timber, palm branches and coconuts everywhere. 

Discuss with your partner what you will do to assist the people in the house. Write down what you would do first. 

When you find the people in the house you see that the mother is the person who has been calling out and she has a large cut on her leg that is bleeding. Her son is on the floor. He has a bump on his head and there is a log from the roof lying next to him. 

Discuss with your partner and write down what you would do next. 

Activity 2

Ask participants to break into pairs for this activity. Read out the scenario and the questions. Spaces are provided in the participants handbook for writing the answers to the questions 

You are walking down the road with your friend when you come across a car that has rolled over and off the road. It must have just happened as the wheels on the car are still turning and you can hear people calling from the car for help. You run towards the car. As you get closer you notice that there is smoke coming from the car and there are people trapped inside it. 

Discuss with your partner what you will do to assist the people in the car. Write down what you would do first. 

There are 2 people in the car. One person says he is alright but he can’t get his door open to get out of the car. His friend has a bleeding nose and a cut on his head and he is shouting out loud and saying he is in pain in his head and his leg. 

Discuss with your partner and write down what you would do next. 

Activity 3

Ask participants to break into pairs for this activity. Read out the scenario and the questions. Spaces are provided in the participants handbook for writing the answers to the questions 

You are walking along the beach and just ahead of you is a body that is lying in the water. The waves are going over the body and it is not moving just going with the water. The face of the person is in the water. 

Discuss with your partner what you will do. Write down what you would do to assist the person in the water first. 

After you have pulled the person out of the water they remain very still and do not appear to be breathing. 

Discuss with your partner and write down what you would do next.