Basic First Aid for Emergencies: CPR, Choking, Bleeding, Burns and Shock

A neighbour collapses in the society lift lobby. A child chokes on a peanut at a wedding. A worker cuts his arm badly on a sheet of metal. The ambulance will come, but the first few minutes are in your hands, and what you do in them can decide whether the person lives.

You do not need to be a doctor. You need to keep yourself safe, call for help early and know a handful of simple steps. Here they are.

First, check for danger

• Look before you rush in. Traffic, live wires, fire, gas or a falling structure can make you the second casualty. Only go in when the scene is safe for you and the person.
• Check the person. Speak loudly and tap their shoulders. See whether they respond and whether they are breathing normally.
• Call early. If they do not respond, call 112 (or 108 for an ambulance) straight away. Put the phone on loudspeaker so you can follow the call handler’s instructions with your hands free.

CPR when someone collapses

Start CPR if the person does not respond and is not breathing normally. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing.

1. Call for help. Call 112 and ask someone to bring an AED (defibrillator) if there is one nearby.
2. Place your hands. Put the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, the other hand on top, and lock your fingers together.
3. Push hard and fast. Press straight down at least 5 cm but not more than 6 cm, at 100 to 120 compressions a minute, with as few pauses as possible.
4. Rescue breaths only if trained. If you have been trained, give 2 breaths after every 30 compressions: tilt the head back, lift the chin and breathe in just enough to make the chest start to rise. If you have not been trained, keep doing chest compressions without stopping.
5. Use the AED. Switch it on as soon as it arrives and follow its voice prompts. Keep going until the AED tells you to stop, a medical team takes over or the person shows signs of life.

Choking

Act when the person is choking and cannot breathe, speak or cough properly.

1. Get them coughing. If they can still breathe or talk, tell them to keep coughing. That is often enough to clear it.
2. Back blows. If they cannot cough, speak or breathe, lean them forward and give up to five firm blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
3. Abdominal thrusts. If that fails, stand behind them, put a fist between the navel and the bottom of the breastbone, hold it with your other hand and give up to five sharp pulls inwards and upwards.
4. Keep going and call. If the blockage has not cleared, call 112 and repeat the back blows and thrusts. If they go unresponsive, start CPR.

Babies under one year need back blows and chest thrusts instead, not abdominal thrusts.

Heavy bleeding

• Press on it. Press firmly on the wound with a sterile dressing or a clean cloth that will not shed fluff. Call 112 for severe bleeding.
• Leave anything stuck in the wound. Do not pull out glass, metal or a stick. Press on either side of it instead.
• Do not let go. Keep the pressure on until the bleeding stops or help arrives.

Burns

Cool the burn under cool, clean running water for 20 minutes. Even 10 minutes helps if that’s all you can manage. No ice, toothpaste, oil or butter.

• Take off rings, bangles, watches or clothing near the burn, unless they are stuck to the skin.
• Once the burn is cooled, cover it loosely with cling film laid lengthways, or a clean plastic bag for a hand or foot.
• Do not burst blisters. Do not put creams or gels on it.
• Get medical advice. For a large or deep burn, or a burn on a child, call 112.

Broken bones and sprains

• Keep them still. Support the injured part by holding the joints above and below it, and pad around it. Do not move the person unless they are in immediate danger.
• Cover open wounds. If there is a wound or bone is showing, cover it with a sterile dressing or clean cloth and press around the wound, not on the bone.
• Know when to call 112. Call for an open fracture, a suspected broken thigh or other long bone, or a suspected back, neck or pelvis injury. Any other suspected fracture still needs a hospital check.

Shock

Shock can follow a serious injury or heavy blood loss. The person may look pale, feel cold and clammy, and breathe fast.

• Treat the cause and call 112. Control any heavy bleeding, help the person lie down and, if it does not hurt them, raise and support their legs. Tell the call handler you think they are in shock.
• Keep them warm. Cover them with a blanket or a shawl.
• Stay with them. Loosen tight clothing, talk to them calmly and keep checking how they respond. If they stop responding and are not breathing normally, start CPR.

Learn it properly

Reading this page helps, but your hands need practice. Book a practical first-aid and CPR course with the Indian Red Cross Society, St John Ambulance or a trained provider near you. Then save 112 in your phone, find out where the nearest AED is kept in your office or society, and check that your first-aid kit is stocked.