First Aid

This is general educational information about first-aid technique, not medical advice for an actual injured or ill person. For a real emergency, the first and most important instruction is always: call the local emergency number (999/112/911, or the local equivalent) and get the person to trained in-person help — a chat response cannot assess a real casualty. See Urgent Emergency Care for when a situation counts as an emergency at all.

The primary survey: DRSABC

The standard first-aid framework for approaching any casualty, in order:

• D — Danger. Check the scene is safe for you, the casualty, and bystanders before approaching. A first responder who becomes a second casualty helps no one.
• R — Response. Check if the casualty responds to voice and touch (gently shake shoulders, ask loudly "are you okay?").
• S — Send for help. Call emergency services (or direct a specific bystander to) as soon as it's clear this is serious — don't wait until the end of the assessment.
• A — Airway. Open the airway (tilt the head back, lift the chin) and check it's clear.
• B — Breathing. Look, listen, and feel for normal breathing for up to 10 seconds.
• C — Circulation/CPR. If not breathing normally, begin CPR immediately (see below) rather than continuing to check.

CPR (adult, layperson, compressions-only guidance)

If a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally: call emergency services (or have someone else do it) and start chest compressions immediately — push hard and fast in the center of the chest, roughly 100–120 compressions per minute, allowing the chest to fully recoil between compressions. Continue until emergency help arrives, an AED (automated external defibrillator) is available and ready to use, or the person shows signs of life. Formal first-aid/CPR certification (Red Cross, St John Ambulance, American Heart Association, or local equivalent) teaches the full technique, including rescue breaths, AED use, and child/infant variations — this summary is not a substitute for that training.

Bleeding

Apply firm, direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or dressing; keep the pressure on continuously rather than repeatedly checking. Raise the injured area above heart level if possible and if no fracture is suspected. For a wound that keeps bleeding through the dressing, add more dressing on top rather than removing the soaked one (removing it disturbs clot formation). Severe, spurting, or uncontrolled bleeding is a call- emergency-services situation.

Burns

Cool the burn under cool (not ice-cold) running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury — this is the single most effective first-aid step and remains useful even if some time has already passed. Remove clothing/jewelry near the burn before swelling starts, unless it's stuck to the skin. Never apply ice, butter, oil, or other home remedies directly to a burn. Cover loosely with cling film or a clean, non-fluffy dressing. Any burn larger than the casualty's palm, a burn on the face/ hands/joints/genitals, or a deep/charred burn needs emergency medical attention.

Choking

Ask "are you choking?" — if the person can cough, speak, or breathe, encourage them to keep coughing rather than intervening. If they cannot cough, speak, or breathe: give up to 5 sharp back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, checking after each one; if that doesn't clear it, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver); alternate the two sets until the obstruction clears or the person becomes unresponsive (at which point, begin CPR and call emergency services if not already done).

Shock

Signs include pale/cold/clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, rapid shallow breathing, and confusion or anxiety. Lay the person down, raise their legs (if no suspected leg/pelvis fracture), keep them warm with a blanket or coat, and reassure them while waiting for emergency help — do not give food or drink, since surgery may follow.

Recovery position

For an unresponsive person who is breathing normally: place them on their side with the head tilted back slightly and the top leg bent forward for stability, so the airway stays open and any vomit can drain away rather than being inhaled. Monitor breathing continuously until help arrives.

Common pitfalls

• Delaying the call for help to finish an assessment — call (or delegate the call) as soon as it's clear the situation is serious; don't treat "Send for help" as the last step.
• Moving a casualty with a suspected spinal injury unless there's an immediate danger (fire, traffic, structural collapse) requiring it — unnecessary movement can worsen a spinal injury.
• Giving food, drink, or medication to an unresponsive or seriously injured person — risk of choking or complicating emergency treatment.
• Removing an impaled object — stabilize it in place and control bleeding around it instead; removing it can worsen bleeding.
• Assuming this or any written summary substitutes for hands-on certified training — technique details (hand placement, compression depth, timing) are best learned and practiced under supervision, not from text alone.

Learn more

• Red Cross first aid guidance (US) / British Red Cross (UK)
• St John Ambulance first aid advice
• American Heart Association CPR guidance
• Urgent Emergency Care for recognizing when a situation is an emergency and what to say when calling for help.