52913 DHS safety flip chart 6/1/05 4:27 PM Page 5
The goals of first aid are to prevent further harm to a victim, to assess the need for
skilled emergency care or, when appropriate, to provide simple treatment.
❏ Handling Life-Threatening Emergencies
➔ Look for potential hazards. Remove the victim from further harm;
( Activate emergency medical services (911). If possible, send another
adult to do this while you assist the victim;
➔ Check breathing. If breathing is absent, begin Rescue Breathing.
➔ If the victim is choking, clear the airway (See Choking in this flipchart);
➔ If no pulse (heartbeat) is present, assure emergency medical services
(911) have been activated and begin CPR.
➔ Stop serious bleeding immediately:
• Lay the victim down and if possible raise the injured part;
• Put on gloves if available;
• Apply firm, direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth. Use your
hand if a clean cloth is not available.
• If embedded fragments remain in the wound, apply pressure around,
not over the fragments. (See Cuts and Scrapes in this flipchart);
➔ If a poisoning has occurred, ask the victim what was swallowed
(breathed-in, spilled on skin, etc.) and follow directions from Poison
Control. (See Poisoning in this flipchart);
Life-Threatening Emergencies
➥
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EMERGENCY
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❏ Prevent Shock:
Signs of shock include: pale color, faintness, sweating, thirst, anxiety,
confusion, and eventually unconsciousness.
• Conscious victim: Lay the victim down, face up. If leg and/or back
injuries are not suspected, raise the feet about 12 inches;
• Unconscious victim without suspected injury to the spine or neck:
Assist the victim to the floor or ground. Position him on his side and
tilt the head back so the chin juts forward to keep the airway open;
• Loosen tight clothing;
• Prevent body-heat loss by covering the victim with a blanket, coat,
etc.;
• DO NOT give anything to eat or drink or give medications unless
directed to do so by emergency personnel;
• Keep the victim comfortable and reassure him that you will help;
• DO NOT leave the victim alone;
( Assure emergency medical services (911) have been activated;
Document the event, actions taken, calls made and follow-up informa-
tion in the child’s file with a duplicate copy to the parent. Child care pro-
grams should notify their licensing or certifying agency of the event.
Schools should follow their emergency reporting policies.
To ensure the health and safety of children in group settings, someone who is trained
in pediatric first aid, including management of a blocked airway and rescue breathing,
and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation must be immediately available at all times. Call
the nearest American Red Cross or American Heart Association office for more infor-
mation regarding this training.
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Choking is caused when the airway is blocked by food, small items, or injury. If an indi-
vidual is experiencing difficulty breathing, activate emergency medical services (911)
immediately. DO NOT intervene if the individual can talk, cough, or is breathing. Be
prepared to use the steps below if the victim is unable to clear the obstruction or
becomes unconscious. After a choking incident, victims should be evaluated by a
health care provider.
❏ Choking: Adult and Child over 12 Months
➔ Assess signs and symptoms which indicate a need for intervention:
• Severe difficulty breathing;
• Inability to cough or speak;
• Blue coloring around the lips;
• Grabbing the throat with the hand;
( Activate emergency medical services (911);
➔ Perform the Heimlich Maneuver to remove the obstruction;
• If victim is standing or sitting, reach around from behind. Place one
fist (thumb-side inward) between the breastbone and navel. Put your
other hand over the fist and thrust sharply upward and inward. Repeat
in rapid succession until the airway is clear, or until the victim
becomes unconscious;
➔ If/when the victim is unconscious, lay the victim on his back;
( Activate emergency medical services (911) if not already done;
➔ Tilt the head back (chin up), open the mouth. If you can see the obstruc-
tion, use a hooking motion with your index finger to remove the object.
Check for breathing;
➔ If the victim is not breathing, attempt to give 2 slow breaths. If the vic-
tim’s chest does not rise and fall, reposition the victim’s head and
attempt the 2 slow breaths again. If the victim’s chest does not rise and
fall, give abdominal thrusts;
Choking
➥
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EMERGENCY
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➔ Kneel over the victim, facing him, in a straddling position. Place the heel
of one hand at the victim’s navel with fingers pointing towards the head.
Position the other hand on top of the first. Press inward and upward
6–10 times;
➔ Tilt the head back (chin up), open the mouth. If you can see the obstruc-
tion, use a hooking motion with your index finger to remove the object;
➔ Check for breathing. Attempt to give 2 slow breaths. If the victim’s chest
rises and falls, check for pulse (heartbeat). If pulse is not present, begin
CPR;
➔ Repeat the cycles of breaths and abdominal thrusts until the obstruction
is removed and the victim is breathing or until relieved by emergency
medical professionals (911);
❏ Choking: Infant Under 12 Months
➔ Assess signs and symptoms which indicate a need for intervention:
• Severe difficulty breathing;
• A weak cough or high-pitched breathing sounds;
• Blue coloring around the lips;
• Gagging and choking;
( Activate emergency medical services (911);
➔ Lay the infant face down on your arm, (head lower than the rest of the
body) with your hand on the infant’s jaw to support the head. Use the
heel of your other hand to give 5 firm back blows between the infant’s
shoulder blades;
➔ Turn the infant face up. Place 2 fingers in the center of the infant’s chest
between the nipples and give 5 quick chest thrusts, pressing inward and
upward (1⁄ 2 to 1 inch) towards the infants face;
➔ Keeping the head lower than the rest of the body, look for the object in
the infant’s mouth. DO NOT insert your finger unless you see something
you can remove. If the object is visible, remove it with a hooked finger;
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➔ Repeat cycles of back blows and chest thrusts in rapid succession until
the airway is clear, or until the victim becomes unconscious;
➔ If/when the infant becomes unconscious, lay him on a firm surface (floor
or table, etc.) and give 2 slow breaths sealing your mouth over the
infant’s nose and mouth. If the infant’s chest does not rise and fall, repo-
sition the infant’s head and attempt the 2 slow breaths again. If the
infant’s chest does not rise and fall, return to the cycles of 5 back
blows—5 chest thrusts—check the mouth for object—2 breaths;
➔ Continue until the object is removed and the infant is breathing on his
own or until relieved by emergency medical professionals (911);
Document the event, actions taken, calls made and follow-up informa-
tion in the child’s file with a duplicate copy to the parent. Child care pro-
grams should notify their licensing or certifying agency of the event.
Schools should follow their emergency reporting policies.
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EMERGENCY