Chapter 7First Aid
Chapter 7 · Basic skills · 36 min read

First Aid

In a major emergency, the ambulance may take a long time or not arrive at all. The first minutes depend on you: stopping a hemorrhage, starting CPR, or recognizing a stroke in time saves lives. This chapter does not replace a course. Take an in-person First Aid/CPR/AED course (American Red Cross or American Heart Association) and a Stop the Bleed course; practicing on a manikin changes everything. Here are procedures verified with official sources, arranged for use under pressure.

The essentials · if you only have a minute
  • Your safety first: check the scene before approaching. An injured rescuer is another victim.
  • Call 911 (or ask someone to call) as soon as you see the person is unresponsive, not breathing normally, or bleeding uncontrollably.
  • Not breathing or only gasping: start CPR immediately. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest: at least 2 in (5 cm), 100–120 per minute. Use the AED as soon as it arrives.
  • Life-threatening bleeding: firm direct pressure; on an arm or leg, tourniquet 2–3 in (5–8 cm) above the wound. Do not loosen it.
  • Stroke (BE FAST): balance, eyes, face, arm, speech: note the time and call 911 right away.
  • Snakebite: stay calm, remove rings, keep the limb at heart level, and get to the hospital. No tourniquet, cutting, sucking, or ice.
  • Poisoning or doubt about a substance: Poison Help 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24 hr). If the person is not breathing, is seizing, or will not wake up: 911.

In this chapter

7.1Assessment: check-call-care2 min read0/57.2CPR for adults3 min read7.3Choking (airway obstruction)1 min read7.4Severe bleeding (Stop the Bleed)4 min read7.5Minor wounds and preventing infection1 min read7.6Burns2 min read7.7Fractures, dislocations, and sprains2 min read7.8Heat illnesses1 min read7.9Hypothermia and frostbite (summary)1 min read7.10Shock1 min read7.11Seizures1 min read7.12Heart attack1 min read7.13Stroke (BE FAST)1 min read7.14Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis1 min read7.15Head injuries1 min read0/97.16Nosebleeds1 min read7.17Eye injuries1 min read7.18Dehydration and diarrhea1 min read7.19Low blood sugar in people with diabetes (hypoglycemia)1 min read7.20Multiple victims: who to treat first1 min read7.21Venomous snakebites in the U.S.2 min read7.22Spiders, scorpions, and insects3 min read7.23Drowning1 min read7.24Poisoning1 min read7.25Complete first-aid kit: adults + pets3 min read0/547.26Basic first aid for pets2 min read
Chapter sources (1)
  1. 1.How to Perform CPR — Adult CPR Steps — Cruz Roja Americana — https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/cpr-steps 2.Hands-Only CPR for Adults — Cruz Roja Americana — https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/perfoming-cpr/hands-only-cpr 3.Heartsaver CPR AED Summary, 2025 Guidelines — American Heart Association (vía Vanderbilt) — https://www.vumc.org/resuscitation- program/ 4.2025 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC (actualización sobre atragantamiento) — American Heart Association — https://cpr.heart.org/ 5.Shock — Learn First Aid — Cruz Roja Americana — https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-first-aid/shock 6.Burn Cooling Advisory — Cruz Roja Americana, Scientific Advisory Council — https://www.redcross.org/ 7.Stop the Bleed — American College of Surgeons / USUHS — https://www.stopthebleed.org 8.Heat Illness — National Weather Service — https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-illness 9.Prevent Hypothermia & Frostbite — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.html 10.First Aid for Seizures — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/first-aid-for-seizures/ 11.Clinical Guidance for Wound Management to Prevent Tetanus — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/hcp/clinical-guidance/ 12.Venomous Snakes: Symptoms and First Aid — CDC/NIOSH — https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/snakes/symptoms.html 13.Venomous Snakes; Venomous Spiders — Texas Department of State Health Services — https://www.dshs.texas.gov/ 14.Scorpions; What to do if you're attacked by bees; Fire ant stings — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — https:// extensionentomology.tamu.edu/ ; https://citybugs.tamu.edu/ 15.Tick Removal — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/ 16.BE FAST — University of Iowa Health Care — https://uihc.org/health-topics/be-fast-when-you-see-stroke 17.Poison Help Line — HRSA — https://poisonhelp.hrsa.gov 18.Epinephrine Auto-Injector Emergency Action Plan — University of California — https://www.ucop.edu/safety-and-loss-prevention/ 19.Make a First Aid Kit — Cruz Roja Americana — https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid- kit.html 20.Pet First Aid (2025) — American Veterinary Medical Association — https://ebusiness.avma.org/files/ProductDownloads/mcm-client- brochures-pet-first-aid-2025.pdf 21.Wound Care and Preventing Infections — Florida Department of Health — https://duval.floridahealth.gov/