Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe BasicsStopped HeartBleedingChokingBurnsBlistersBroken Bone/FractureSprainsNosebleedsFrostbiteBee StingFirst Aid Kit ListFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
The Basics
Stopped Heart
Bleeding
Choking
Burns
Blisters
Broken Bone/Fracture
Sprains
Nosebleeds
Frostbite
Bee Sting
First Aid Kit List
FAQ
First aid is the immediate care a sick or injured person gets. In some cases, it may be the only care a person needs. In others, first aid is a way to prevent a person’s condition from worsening and keep them alive untilparamedicsarrive or they are taken to the hospital.
The best way to prepare for these events is to get official first-aid training. In the meantime, there are some basic life-saving steps you can learn.
This article goes over the first aid steps to follow in 10 different situations and how to tell if more care is needed.
Stevica Mrdja / Getty Images
ABCs of First Aid
If someone isunconsciousor unresponsive, the basic principle of first aid that you need to know isABC:airway, breathing,andcirculation.
Asimpler version of the ABCsis:
Some first aid courses also includeDandE:
Where to Get First Aid TrainingTaking a formalCPR classwill help you become familiar with doing chest compressions, rescue breathing, and using an AED. You can find courses from theAmerican Red Cross, your local community first responders, and online.
Where to Get First Aid Training
Taking a formalCPR classwill help you become familiar with doing chest compressions, rescue breathing, and using an AED. You can find courses from theAmerican Red Cross, your local community first responders, and online.
What to Know About First Aid at Work
First Aid for a Stopped Heart
Elva Etienne / Getty Images
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)is one of the most important emergency medical procedures that a person can know.
When a person is incardiac arrest(heart is not beating), doing CPR and/or using an AED could restart their heart and/or recirculate blood until their heart can be restarted with a defibrillator.This can restore their life.
AEDs are available in many public areas and businesses. These first aid devices are made to be easy to use even if you have no training.
What to Do
If you think someone is in cardiac arrest, there are four steps you can take to help them.
How to Do CPR
First Aid for Bleeding
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If someone is injured and bleeding, there are a few basics about how blood works that will be helpful for you to know.
The color of the blood and how it’s leaving the body can give you a sense of the extent of the injury:
Almost all bleeding can becontrolled with first aid. If severe bleeding keeps going, a person can go into shock and may die.
First Aid for Puncture Wounds
While it is important to stop bleeding, begin with the ABCs of first aid.
The next steps are to:
Get medical help if:
If you are taking the person to the hospital, make sure that you have someone else who can keep administering first aid while you drive.
How to Control Bleeding
First Aid for Choking
Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Signs of choking include:
Degloving Injuries From Accidents
Using the Heimlich Manuever
TheHeimlich maneuveris a series of abdominal thrusts that can help dislodge the thing a person is choking on. This first aid technique should only be done if someone is truly choking.
Before doing anything, ask the person if they are choking. Remember: If someone is coughing or talking, they are not choking.
What Is the Recovery Position?
If someone is choking, you should know how to use theHeimlich maneuver.
Here are the steps:
For someone who is obese or pregnant, perform the thrusts around the chest instead of the abdomen.
If someone is choking and becomes unconscious:
Helping a Choking Infant
Start with back blows:
If back blows don’t work, try chest thrusts:
If a choking infant loses consciousness, you may need to do CPR until emergency help arrives.
What to Do if You’re Alone and Choking
You can give yourself the Heimlich maneuver even if you are alone.
First Aid for Burns
RUNSTUDIO / Getty Images
The first step totreating a burnis to stop the burning process.
This might mean:
Theseverity of a burnis based on how deep in the skin it is and how big it is:
Major burns need emergency medical attention.Once you’ve stopped the burning process, call 911 or get someone else to.
For burns that are not an emergency, you can take these first aid steps:
The Different Degrees of Burns
First Aid for Blisters
Rattanakorn Songrenoo / Getty Images
Blistersprotect damaged skin while it heals.
Some blisters need to be treated and others don’t. Whether you need totreat a blisterdepends on how bad it is and your overall health.
What Is a Blood Blister?
If the blister is small, not open, and doesn’t hurt, it’s best to leave it alone. You can cover it to prevent rubbing, which could cause it to swell and burst.
Do not pop a small blister.This could let bacteria get inside it and cause an infection.
If the blister is big or painful, you need to take different steps to treat it.
Here are the first-aid steps to take for a more serious blister:
What to Do If You Spill Bleach on Your Skin
If you have acompromised immune system, you are more likely to get an infection and should not drain a blister on your own.However, your healthcare provider may want todrain itto help prevent infection.
If a blister breaks open on its own:
Change the bandage any time it gets wet. Take it off when you go to bed to give the area a chance to air out.
Can You Take First Aid Kits on a Plane?
First Aid for a Broken Bone or Fracture
Odilon Dimier / Getty Images
Any injury to your limbs, hands, and feet needs to betreated as a broken boneuntil an X-ray can be done.
While broken bones or fractures do need medical treatment, they do not all require an emergency trip to the hospital. First aid steps can help stabilize the bone until you can see a healthcare provider.
In some cases, you will need emergency medical care to deal with a broken bone.
Call 911 if:
Otherwise, you can use first aid, then go to urgent care or contact your healthcare provider for guidance.
What Are Soft Tissue Injuries?
Here’s what to do next:
Some research has shown thatnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)like Advil and Aleve can slow bone healing. However, short-term NSAID use appears to have little or no effect on healing.You may use Tylenol (acetaminophen) as an alternative for pain relief.
How to Avoid Ice Pack Injuries
First Aid for Sprains
Adam Burn / Getty Images
Asprainis an injury to the connective tissues that hold bones,cartilage, and joints together (ligaments).
Sprains are most often caused when the twisting of a joint overstretches or tears these tissues. They tend to happen in the ankles, knees, and wrists.
The symptoms of a sprain are similar to those of a broken bone. A person will need tohave an X-rayto figure out which injury they have.
Sprains vs. Strains
The first thing to do is make sure that the injured person stops any unnecessary activity, as moving can make the injury worse.
Sprains often don’t require emergency treatment.However, you should get immediate medical care if the injured person:
If emergency care is not needed, follow these first aid steps:
R.I.C.E. vs P.O.L.I.C.E. for Sprains
First Aid for Nosebleeds
KidStock / Getty Images
Nosebleeds can have various causes. In children, the most common cause of a nosebleed is digital trauma—better known as picking your nose.
Other causes of a bloody nose include:
Many of these things dry out or damage the delicate membranes in your nostrils, causing them to get crusty and burst when irritated.
Household Items That Can Be Dangerous
First aid for a nosebleed has a few simple steps.
If your nose is bleeding:
In some cases, you will need to let your provider know if you have a bloody nose.
Call your provider if:
You might need to seek emergency medical care for a bloody nose.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room if:
How to Stop a Nosebleed
First Aid for Frostbite
Dean Mitchell / Getty Images
Frostbitehappens when the body’s tissues freeze deeply in the cold. This is the opposite of a burn, but the damage it does to your skin is almost the same.
Why Hypothermia Happens
If that’s not possible, or while you’re waiting for an ambulance, you can begin first aid for frostbite.
For small areas of minor frostbite, you can also warm the area with skin-to-skin contact (putting your skin on someone else’s).
Get emergency treatment if the skin is hard and begins turning white.
First Aid for Bee Stings
HAYKIRDI / Getty Images
Bee stingscan hurt a lot but are only a minor problem for many people. However, for people who are allergic to bee venom, a sting can be deadly.
An allergy can develop at any time—that’s why it’s important to always watch for an allergic reaction after a bee sting.
Signs of an allergic reaction to a sting include:
How to Remove a Bee Stinger
Call 911 immediately or get the person to the hospital if they have signs of an allergic reaction to a bee sting.
If the person who was stung has a known allergy to bee stings, use anEpiPento prevent anaphylaxis.
In someone without a known bee allergy, watch for signs of an allergy while you’re performing first aid:
How to Treat a Bee Sting
First aid kitsare sold at many pharmacies and department stores, but you can also make your own. You should keep one in your vehicle and in your home.
A basic first-aid kit should contain:
Summary
If you can get formal first aid training, that’s the best way to know what to do if a medical emergency happens to you, a loved one, or even a stranger.
Even without formal training, it helps to know the ABCs (airway, breathing, and circulation) and how to do CPR.
Attempting to provide first aid care is often better than doing nothing. Sometimes, acting quickly can save a person’s life.
The Best First Aid Kits
Frequently Asked QuestionsCPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and assessing and treating minor injuries like wounds, burns, sprains, and broken bones are common first aid procedures covered in a basic first aid course.This is best left to healthcare professionals, as there are big risks to using a tourniquet—even when it’s done the right way. However, if direct pressure is not stopping the bleeding and a person’s life is in danger, anyone can make a tourniquet using a belt or torn piece of fabric.Learn MoreHow to Use a Tourniquet
Frequently Asked Questions
CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and assessing and treating minor injuries like wounds, burns, sprains, and broken bones are common first aid procedures covered in a basic first aid course.
This is best left to healthcare professionals, as there are big risks to using a tourniquet—even when it’s done the right way. However, if direct pressure is not stopping the bleeding and a person’s life is in danger, anyone can make a tourniquet using a belt or torn piece of fabric.Learn MoreHow to Use a Tourniquet
This is best left to healthcare professionals, as there are big risks to using a tourniquet—even when it’s done the right way. However, if direct pressure is not stopping the bleeding and a person’s life is in danger, anyone can make a tourniquet using a belt or torn piece of fabric.
Learn MoreHow to Use a Tourniquet
How to Stock a First Aid Kit at Home
26 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Red Cross.What is AED?American Heart Association.Saving lives: why CPR AED training matter.Charlton NP, Pellegrino JL, Kule A, et al.2019 American Heart Association and American Red Cross focused update for first aid: presyncope: an update to the American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid.Circulation. 2019;140(24):e931-e938. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000730AlSabah S, Al Haddad E, AlSaleh F.Stop the bleed campaign: a qualitative study from our experience from the middle east.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;36:67-70. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.10.013Nemours Foundation.First aid: cuts.National Library of Medicine.Bleeding.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.National CPR Foundation.Choking, hypothermia & dehydration.National Library of Medicine.Choking - infant under 1 year.American Burn Association.Initial first aid treatment for minor burns.National Library of Medicine.Burns.Hyland EJ, Connolly SM, Fox JA, Harvey JG.Minor burn management: potions and lotions.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(4):124-127. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.041National Library of Medicine.Minor burn - aftercare.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Blisters.Michigan Medicine.Blister care.National Library of Medicine.Broken bone.Wheatley BM, Nappo KE, Christensen DL, Holman AM, Brooks DI, Potter BK.Effect of NSAIDs on bone healing rates: a meta-analysis.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019;27(7):e330-e336. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00727American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sprains, strains and Other soft-tissue injuries.Nemours Foundation.First aid: strains and sprains.Womack JP, Kropa J, Stabile MJ.Epistaxis: outpatient management.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(4):240-5.Nemours Foundation.Nosebleeds.Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012Nemours Foundation.First aid: frostbite.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Insect sting allergies.American Red Cross.First aid steps.Galante JM.Using Tourniquets to Stop Bleeding. JAMA. 2017 Apr 11;317(14):1490. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.8581
26 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Red Cross.What is AED?American Heart Association.Saving lives: why CPR AED training matter.Charlton NP, Pellegrino JL, Kule A, et al.2019 American Heart Association and American Red Cross focused update for first aid: presyncope: an update to the American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid.Circulation. 2019;140(24):e931-e938. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000730AlSabah S, Al Haddad E, AlSaleh F.Stop the bleed campaign: a qualitative study from our experience from the middle east.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;36:67-70. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.10.013Nemours Foundation.First aid: cuts.National Library of Medicine.Bleeding.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.National CPR Foundation.Choking, hypothermia & dehydration.National Library of Medicine.Choking - infant under 1 year.American Burn Association.Initial first aid treatment for minor burns.National Library of Medicine.Burns.Hyland EJ, Connolly SM, Fox JA, Harvey JG.Minor burn management: potions and lotions.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(4):124-127. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.041National Library of Medicine.Minor burn - aftercare.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Blisters.Michigan Medicine.Blister care.National Library of Medicine.Broken bone.Wheatley BM, Nappo KE, Christensen DL, Holman AM, Brooks DI, Potter BK.Effect of NSAIDs on bone healing rates: a meta-analysis.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019;27(7):e330-e336. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00727American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sprains, strains and Other soft-tissue injuries.Nemours Foundation.First aid: strains and sprains.Womack JP, Kropa J, Stabile MJ.Epistaxis: outpatient management.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(4):240-5.Nemours Foundation.Nosebleeds.Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012Nemours Foundation.First aid: frostbite.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Insect sting allergies.American Red Cross.First aid steps.Galante JM.Using Tourniquets to Stop Bleeding. JAMA. 2017 Apr 11;317(14):1490. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.8581
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Red Cross.What is AED?American Heart Association.Saving lives: why CPR AED training matter.Charlton NP, Pellegrino JL, Kule A, et al.2019 American Heart Association and American Red Cross focused update for first aid: presyncope: an update to the American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid.Circulation. 2019;140(24):e931-e938. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000730AlSabah S, Al Haddad E, AlSaleh F.Stop the bleed campaign: a qualitative study from our experience from the middle east.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;36:67-70. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.10.013Nemours Foundation.First aid: cuts.National Library of Medicine.Bleeding.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.National CPR Foundation.Choking, hypothermia & dehydration.National Library of Medicine.Choking - infant under 1 year.American Burn Association.Initial first aid treatment for minor burns.National Library of Medicine.Burns.Hyland EJ, Connolly SM, Fox JA, Harvey JG.Minor burn management: potions and lotions.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(4):124-127. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.041National Library of Medicine.Minor burn - aftercare.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Blisters.Michigan Medicine.Blister care.National Library of Medicine.Broken bone.Wheatley BM, Nappo KE, Christensen DL, Holman AM, Brooks DI, Potter BK.Effect of NSAIDs on bone healing rates: a meta-analysis.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019;27(7):e330-e336. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00727American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sprains, strains and Other soft-tissue injuries.Nemours Foundation.First aid: strains and sprains.Womack JP, Kropa J, Stabile MJ.Epistaxis: outpatient management.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(4):240-5.Nemours Foundation.Nosebleeds.Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012Nemours Foundation.First aid: frostbite.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Insect sting allergies.American Red Cross.First aid steps.Galante JM.Using Tourniquets to Stop Bleeding. JAMA. 2017 Apr 11;317(14):1490. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.8581
American Red Cross.What is AED?
American Heart Association.Saving lives: why CPR AED training matter.
Charlton NP, Pellegrino JL, Kule A, et al.2019 American Heart Association and American Red Cross focused update for first aid: presyncope: an update to the American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid.Circulation. 2019;140(24):e931-e938. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000730
AlSabah S, Al Haddad E, AlSaleh F.Stop the bleed campaign: a qualitative study from our experience from the middle east.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;36:67-70. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.10.013
Nemours Foundation.First aid: cuts.
National Library of Medicine.Bleeding.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.
National CPR Foundation.Choking, hypothermia & dehydration.
National Library of Medicine.Choking - infant under 1 year.
American Burn Association.Initial first aid treatment for minor burns.
National Library of Medicine.Burns.
Hyland EJ, Connolly SM, Fox JA, Harvey JG.Minor burn management: potions and lotions.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(4):124-127. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.041
National Library of Medicine.Minor burn - aftercare.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Blisters.
Michigan Medicine.Blister care.
National Library of Medicine.Broken bone.
Wheatley BM, Nappo KE, Christensen DL, Holman AM, Brooks DI, Potter BK.Effect of NSAIDs on bone healing rates: a meta-analysis.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019;27(7):e330-e336. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00727
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sprains, strains and Other soft-tissue injuries.
Nemours Foundation.First aid: strains and sprains.
Womack JP, Kropa J, Stabile MJ.Epistaxis: outpatient management.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(4):240-5.
Nemours Foundation.Nosebleeds.
Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012
Nemours Foundation.First aid: frostbite.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Insect sting allergies.
American Red Cross.First aid steps.
Galante JM.Using Tourniquets to Stop Bleeding. JAMA. 2017 Apr 11;317(14):1490. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.8581
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