51 cards
First aid is the immediate and temporary care given to a person who is injured or suddenly ill. Its purpose is to prevent the casualty's condition from worsening, to promote recovery, and to preserve life until professional medical help arrives. First aid is crucial because timely intervention in those first minutes af...
Problems with the airway can become fatal within minutes, so recognizing and relieving obstruction is one of the most important first aid skills. The signs of an obstructed airway include sudden inability to speak, cough, or breathe; the person clutching at their throat; blue lips or skin; and high-pitched breathing so...
Several medical conditions require the rescuer to act as quickly and calmly as in a trauma situation. A heart attack typically presents with central chest pain lasting more than \(15\) minutes that may radiate to the arms or jaw, along with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, and pale skin. Emergency services should...
Burns range from minor to life-threatening and are graded by depth. A first-degree burn affects only the outer skin and causes redness, a second-degree burn involves deeper layers with blisters, and a third-degree burn destroys all skin layers and may appear white or charred; medical help should be sought for second- a...
Extreme temperatures can quickly overwhelm the body's ability to regulate itself. Heatstroke is a medical emergency marked by a body temperature above \(40\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\) (\(104\,^{\circ}\mathrm{F}\)), hot dry skin, a rapid strong pulse, confusion, seizures, or unconsciousness. Effective cooling involves moving...
Minor but common complaints such as nosebleeds are also part of everyday first aid. The casualty should sit upright and lean forward, the soft part of the nostrils pinched together continuously for \(10{-}15\) minutes without releasing, and ice applied to the nose or forehead. Medical help is needed if bleeding persist...