Call emergency number e . g . 000 or 112 ( Aus ) or 111 ( NZ ) if assistance not already dispatched .
Know details of the location of the incident : street address , GPS coordinates , or phone apps such as ‘ What 3 Words ’, ‘ Emergency Plus ’ and ‘ Coordinates ’.
Send for help
Provide details of the patient : name and age , any medication they take , condition .
Provide details of the type of incident ; it will be important to advise if the patient is difficult to access and is still at height ( e . g up a tree ) as specialist medical and rescue crews will have to be dispatched ( if not already dispatched ).
Assess the patient ’ s mouth and nose by looking and listening .
Airway
Look for : Food , vomit , saliva , foreign objects , broken teeth , blood and remove if possible . Clearing an obstructed airway may require moving the patient on their side or involve use of specialist equipment and techniques usually provided by medical professionals .
Listen for normal quiet breathing . Snoring , gurgling , gasping or no sound all indicate problems which may need managing .
Look for chest rise and fall and observe rate , depth and ‘ work of breathing ’. Look at the chest wall for symmetry , bruising , deformity , wounds .
Listen for wheezes , crackles , and patient ’ s ability to speak : full sentences are ideal , single words between breaths indicates respiratory distress .
Breathing
Look for : skin colour : Often described as ‘ pink ’, ‘ pale ’, ‘ ashen ’, ‘ grey ’, ‘ dusky ’, ‘ blue ’. In patients with heavily pigmented skin observing the colour inside the lower lip can be a useful indicator .
Circulation
Feel for pulse , noting rate and regularity . Locations to find pulses are , radial ( inside wrist ), carotid ( front of neck ), femoral ( inside thigh ). Patient consent required for this procedure .
Capillary refill is also used as an indicator of circulation . Press on central upper chest or forehead with a finger for 3 seconds , then release , colour should return to the area within 3 seconds .
Deadly bleed
Look for bleeding and apply direct pressure and / or a tourniquet ( if trained ) to prevent further blood loss .
Deadly bleed
Defibrillation Disability
Defibrillation Apply AED pads and follow the instructions .
Disability Look at the eyes for pupil reaction to light . Look at limb ( arm and leg ) movement .
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