Of course, to protect their safety, and best help their patients, it is essential that first aiders know about each stage of the survey. DRABC is the acronym for the steps in the primary survey procedure that every first aider must complete when they initially come across a casualty. Although, there is some debate as to whether this is enough steps in some cases. An issue we will get into more detail about later on. Before anything else, it is vital that a first aider assess the overall danger of the situation, and whether it is safe for them or any other person to be in it.
After all, a first responder cannot help a casualty if they become injured. Not doing a danger assessment could even mean risking their own life and putting additional strain on the emergency service once they arrive.
Something that can interfere with the treatment the casualty receives. For example: If a casualty is in an accident in a vehicle on the motorway, the primary danger here would be other traffic. Therefore, the traffic would need to be stopped before attending to the casualty. Only after you have confirmed that there is no danger can you approach and assess the casualty. Once you have established that their casualty is unresponsive, you must check their airway.
The airway is a critical step because, at this point, you will be looking to find out why the casualty is unresponsive. Use your fingertips on their chin to lift their mouth and open their airways.
If they are not breathing, breathing infrequently, or abnormally you can go to step 5. If the casualty is unconscious, but breathing normally, put them in the recovery position when it is safe to do so. Do not start CPR until you have called Your casualty will have a better chance of survival if the emergency services can get to them quickly. Use your speakerphone to make the call if you are on your own. The benefits of the added steps include a more detailed assessment and an increased focus on preventing further injury and promoting recovery as well as just preserving life.
Having the knowledge of how to react in a medical emergency and give first aid is an important skill that everyone should feel confident in. You never know when you might need to put these skills to use and assist someone in a potentially life-threatening situation. In this article, we explain how you should carry out an initial assessment of someone who is injured or ill. We also outline what action you should take after you have completed these steps.
The primary survey is the first stage in any first aid assessment. It is an initial assessment of the situation and the needs of the casualty that will help you to understand whether you can approach and start to attend to them without putting yourself or anyone else at risk of harm. Applying the primary survey will allow you to determine whether someone has any injuries or illnesses that could be life-threatening and so need to be responded to immediately.
The action you subsequently take may well save their life, so it is important that you understand how to carry out the steps in the correct order. This allows you to consider serious health complications in order of priority, firstly assessing those that will cause fatality the quickest.
You should use the primary survey whenever you discover a casualty — someone who is injured or has fallen ill. Anyone can use the primary survey to assess a casualty. However, if a qualified first aider is present, they will likely carry out this initial assessment and then administer any treatment to the casualty.
Note that qualified first aiders must have taken practical training of at least 18 contact hours. If a qualified first aider cannot attend, then some workplaces may have an appointed person present. Appointed persons are in charge of first aid arrangements at workplaces.
If someone requires first aid assistance outside of a workplace, such as in your home, you can carry out the primary survey yourself if you feel competent in doing so. You can find out more about it by visiting our website. These must be followed as they are, in order of priority, to ensure the most life-threatening conditions are assessed and treated first. The first step in the primary survey is to assess the situation for any danger.
It is crucial that this is the first thing that you do so as to ensure that it is safe for you to approach the casualty. This means you need to look around the area for anything that could be a potential risk to you, the casualty, or anyone else nearby. With your hands in position press downward, keeping your arms straight. Push down to about a third of the chest depth then relax to let it return to the normal position. Push hard and fast.
A cracking sound may be due to the ribs or cartilage cracking. Keep doing the compressions. Do 30 compressions for every two breaths at a rate of about compressions per minute. For an infant: Encircle your hands around the chest and use only your thumbs to do the compressions. If there are two rescuers: The person pumping the chest stops while the other gives rescue breaths. If advanced medical care is not within a few hours away you need to make a decision whether to even start CPR or not.
To make a tough decision a little easier you can follow these points as a standard. In case of one of the following, do not start CPR:. Also, any time that you do start CPR you need to decide for how long you will continue. If advanced help is likely then continuing until it arrives is reasonable. If you are unsure whether help will arrive, then for how long should you continue? These are decisions you have to make depending on the situation. Perfusion is the flow of fluid, e.
Signs of inadequate perfusion include:. Apply pressure to the skin and then wait to see how long it takes for blood to flow back into the site. A slow capillary refill means a slow return of blood. This indicates decreased perfusion. Returning from white to pink in less than 2 seconds is normal. No matter where you go you need this book, because the information inside it saves lives! Something to think about: The idea of first aid is to keep the patient alive until advanced medical care becomes available.
In a survival situation, advanced care may not be available. Nursing a patient takes valuable time and resources. If there is no possibility of advanced medical care you may only be delaying an inevitable death. And in the process, the patient may be taking away resources from other survivors.
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Put the patients spine into a vice grip. Be careful of his teeth when doing the finger sweep. Use gravity and the finger sweep to clear his airway. Take a normal breath and form a tight seal. The carotid pulse.
Place the heel of your hand on his sternum. Place your other hand on top and bring your shoulders over his sternum. For an infant use only your thumbs to do the compressions. View Book. Bert Luxing.
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