First Aid

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Accidents happen. Someone chokes on an ice cube or gets stung by a bee. It is important to know when to call 911 -- it is for life-threatening emergencies. While waiting for help to arrive, you may be able to save someone's life. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is for people whose hearts or breathing has stopped and the Heimlich maneuver is for people who are choking.

You can also learn to handle common injuries and wounds. Cuts and scrapes, for example, should be rinsed with cool water. To stop bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure, using gauze. If blood soaks through, add more gauze, keeping the first layer in place. Continue to apply pressure.

It is important to have a first aid kit available. Keep one at home and one in your car. It should include a first-aid guide. Read the guide to learn how to use the items, so you are ready in case an emergency happens.

Start Here

• Emergency 101 (American College of Emergency Physicians)
• First Aid and Safety (Nemours Foundation)
• First-Aid Kits: Stock Supplies That Can Save Lives (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Know When to Go (American College of Emergency Physicians) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Anaphylaxis: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Choking: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Frostbite: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Nosebleeds (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Seizures (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Shock: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Unconsciousness, First Aid (VisualDX)
• What Do I Need in My First Aid Kit? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Images

• Creating a sling - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hand splint - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: First Aid (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Shock (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Educational intervention in first aid for early childhood education professional: a...
• Article: Evaluating lay first responder (LFR) first aid kit supplies usage and...
• Article: Do We Actually Help Choking Children? The Quality of Evidence on...
• First Aid -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American College of Emergency Physicians
• American Red Cross Also in Spanish

Children

• First Aid Tips (National Eye Institute)
• First Aid: Teeth Injuries (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• How to Handle an Emergency (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Teaching Your Child How to Use 911 (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What You Need to Know in an Emergency (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Bleeding (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Lacerations - liquid bandage (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Poisoning first aid (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish