Not medical advice. This site is general information only. In an emergency call your local emergency number. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
Trauma
25 guides
Severe Bleeding Control
Call emergency services immediately for severe, spurting, or pooling bleeding, and protect yourself with gloves if available. Appl...
Burn First Aid
Stop the burning process and make the area safe. Cool the burn with cool running water for 20 minutes, ideally as soon as possible...
Fracture Management
Call emergency services for suspected fractures of the thigh, pelvis, neck, or back, open fractures, or if the person is in severe...
Shock Management
Shock is a life threatening condition: call emergency services. Signs: pale, cold, clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, rapid shallow br...
Eye Injury
For chemicals in the eye: rinse immediately with clean running water for at least 20 minutes, holding the eyelids open, with the i...
Crush Injury
Call emergency services immediately and make sure the scene is safe before approaching. Freeing someone who has been trapped under...
Impaled Object
Call emergency services. Do NOT remove an impaled object: it may be plugging damaged blood vessels, and removal can cause severe b...
Chest Wound
A penetrating chest wound is a life threatening emergency: call emergency services immediately and follow the call handler's instr...
Abdominal Wound
Call emergency services. Do not push any protruding organs back in. Cover the wound loosely with a clean, damp dressing or cling f...
Electric Shock
Do not touch the person while they are still in contact with the electrical source. Switch off the power at the mains or fuse box ...
Lightning Strike
Call emergency services. A person struck by lightning does not carry an electrical charge and is safe to touch, but move to safer ...
Internal Bleeding Signs
Suspect internal bleeding after major trauma such as falls or crashes, or with some medical conditions such as stomach ulcers or e...
Crush Syndrome Prehospital
Crush syndrome is a serious condition that can develop when muscles have been compressed for a prolonged period, for example in bu...
Amputation First Aid
Call emergency services. Control bleeding from the injured limb with firm direct pressure; for life threatening bleeding that pres...
Finger Tip Injury
Control bleeding with firm pressure on a clean dressing and raise the hand. Small, clean, shallow cuts can be cleaned and covered....
Chemical Burns
Protect yourself first, with gloves if available, and call emergency services for significant chemical burns. Carefully remove con...
Electrical Burns
Make sure the power source is off before touching the person. Call emergency services for any significant electrical injury. Small...
Soft Tissue Abrasion
Clean the graze under running water to remove dirt and grit, since debris left in a wound can cause infection and permanent markin...
Puncture Wound
Allow minor punctures to bleed briefly, then clean under running water. Do not dig into the wound. Cover with a clean dressing. Se...
Bandaging Basics
Cover wounds with a sterile or clean non fluffy dressing held on by a bandage firm enough to stop bleeding but not so tight it cut...
Wound Infection Signs
Watch any healing wound for spreading redness around the edges, increasing pain, swelling, warmth, pus or cloudy discharge, a bad ...
Fish Hook Injury
Small shallow hooks can often be removed by the push and cut method: push the barb forward through the skin until it emerges, cut ...
Ring Removal Swollen Finger
Rings should come off early after a hand or finger injury, before swelling makes it impossible. If a ring is stuck, try raising th...
Splinter Removal
Remove splinters close to the surface with clean fine tipped tweezers, gripping the end that sticks out and pulling at the same an...
Blister Care
Prevention first: properly fitting footwear, clean dry socks, and stopping when hot spots burn. If a blister forms and is small an...