First Aid Scenarios and Discussion Answers

Scenario 1) On a walk through your neighborhood with friends, you find a man lying on the ground under a ladder. He is in obvious pain and his arm is clearly broken, with a piece of bone protruding from the skin. How would you handle the situation?

How to handle the situation:

1. It appears that the man has fallen from the ladder. Make sure it’s safe to approach. Is there anyone else on the ladder? Is the ladder in a stable position? Are there any obstacles on the ground or above, such as electrical wires or tree limbs? Identify yourself as being trained in first aid and offer assistance.

2. Have one friend call 911 and stay on the phone with the operator until help arrives. When paramedics arrive, have someone direct them to the scene and be prepared to communicate what happened.

3. Wear gloves and goggles if you have them. Provide urgent treatment for the victim by controlling the bleeding with a sterile gauze around the wound. (If you don’t have gauze and the man is bleeding severely, use the cleanest cloth you have.) Do not use pressure on the bone itself but do your best to control the bleeding. Do not try to clean the wound. You will need a second person to protect the spinal column by supporting the victim’s head and neck in the position in which he was found.

4. Treat the victim for shock, but don’t move his legs because of a possible spinal injury. Keep him calm.

5. Thoroughly examine the victim to make sure there are no hidden injuries. For example, did he hit his head when he fell? What about his legs and ankles?

Scenario 2) While hanging out in your backyard with your little brother, you hear a call for help from a neighbor. You grab your first-aid kit and rush over to find a man lying on the ground amid a pile of chopped wood with a wound on his leg. How would you handle the situation?

How to handle the situation:

1. It looks like the man has injured himself while chopping wood. Check the scene and make sure it’s safe to approach. Identify yourself as being trained in first aid and offer to help.

2. Have your brother call 911 while you tend to the victim. Have your brother stay on the phone with the operator until help arrives. When paramedics arrive, have him direct them to the scene and be prepared to communicate what happened.

3. Provide urgent treatment for the victim. Wear gloves and eye protection if you have them. If the wound is small and only oozing blood, focus on cleaning it with soap and water and then apply a sterile dressing. If there is a large amount of blood, stop the bleeding with a pressure bandage. Continue to apply pressure until the bleeding has stopped. If the bleeding soaks through the bandage, don’t remove it; apply a second bandage on top of the first. Apply a sterile dressing once the bleeding has stopped.

4. Treat the victim for shock. Keep him calm. Protect him from further injury by not moving him unless there is immediate danger.

5. Do a secondary exam to make sure there are no hidden injuries. For example, did he hit his head when he fell?

Scenario 3) On a walk through your neighborhood, you come across a person lying on the ground. The victim has difficulty speaking and appears weak and trembling. He manages to say that he’s hungry and appears to be nervous. He complains of feeling faint and dizzy, and that’s when you notice the silver bracelet on his wrist. What’s happening?

How to handle the situation:

1. It appears the man is having a diabetic attack. Since it’s impossible to know if there is too much or too little sugar, you should treat this as an extremely dangerous situation. High blood sugar levels rarely cause death, but low blood sugar is dangerous. Without sugar, brain cells die quickly and permanent damage can result.

2. The bracelet is a medical ID bracelet. It will explain what to do in case of a diabetic attack.

3. The person might be carrying some form of concentrated sugar to be taken orally. Follow the directions exactly.

4. If you can’t tell otherwise, assume the worst — that the man is suffered from low blood sugar.

5. If the man’s condition doesn’t improve right away, call 9-1-1 and describe the situation and your location.

Scenario 4) While camping at Leo Carrillo Beach, a friend’s son is carving a piece of driftwood with a knife and ends up cutting himself on his arm. (Yes, he’s clumsy.) The boy is panicking and bleeding severely. What do you do?

How to handle the situation:

1. Call 9-1-1 and describe the situation and your location.

2. Approach the victim cautiously and attempt to calm him.

3. Put on nonlatex gloves and eye protection if you have them. With a clean cloth or sterile dressing, use the palm of your hand to apply firm pressure directly over the wound.

4. If the pad becomes soaked with blood, don’t remove it. Instead, place a new pad on top of the old one.

5. If you have an elastic bandage, use it to secure the pad tightly over the wound. When the bleeding stops, continue to hold the pad firmly in place until help arrives.

Scenario 5) On a backpacking trip, you come across a small cave. From inside, you hear someone crying for help. You can see an injured individual inside the cave that appears trapped and unable to move. He says he’s dehydrated and dislocated his shoulder. What do you do?

How to handle the situation:

1. Call 9-1-1 and describe the situation and your location.

2. Before entering the cave, check the scene carefully. Are there any other dangers? Are there other people in there? Approach the victim carefully.

3. Keep the victim calm. Have him take small sips of water.

4. If possible, put the man’s arm in a sling. Make sure the victim is safe from other dangers, such as falling rocks.

5. Check the victim for other injuries and keep him calm until help arrives.