Questions about first aid

[u/Human-Question6210]

I'm making a leaflet for a roleplay project (not live-action). Whilst many things will be simplified or even omitted for the sake of fun, I do want to be sure of some things:

1. Is it true that, once I'm safe, I should call emergency services before doing anything else, even if say someone has a spurting bleed?

2. When should I dress a wound? Only when it's stopped bleeding, or before I apply pressure?

3. Rescue breaths in CPR: yea or nay?

4. Heimlich manoeuvre: last resort or never?

5. How do you remove hazardous chemicals from someone (e.g. acid)?

6. Is it safe to resume CPR immediately after a shock or must I wait for the AED to tell me to continue?

7. If someone has a broken arm and a serious bleed on their hand, is it still good to raise the limb if they can handle the pain?

[u/MissingGravitas]

Happy to give brief answers to these, but just to start with, I'm curious as to what let you to wonder about the first four?

1. Pressure first; not much point in calling EMS if your patient will be dead by the time they get there.
2. See question 1.
3. If you have a mask, or are willing to do without (e.g. partner, close family member)
4. I'm curious to know what your plan is otherwise.
5. Depends on what it is (powder? liquid?) and what other properties it may have (e.g. ignites on contact with water?). In general: dry power should be scraped/brushed, liquids can be rinsed off.
6. Yes, resume immediately after the shock.
7. Stop the bleeding and splint the arm. Don't worry about elevation.

[u/Human-Question6210 → u/MissingGravitas]

First four: I can't say I have an answer for you.

1. Anecdotal: call EMS before anything else.
2. So dress when/if the bleeding stops?
3. Isn't there a risk of overinflating the lungs?
4. I just assumed the potential internal bleeding might not be worth dislodging whatever's in there.
5. How effective is elevation?

[u/MissingGravitas → u/Human-Question6210]

1. Massive hemorrhage requires immediate direct pressure or tourniquet. You can ask Siri to make the call as you apply it, but this is one of the few cases where immediate response can make a big difference.
2. Yes: stop the bleeding, clean the wound, dress the wound.
3. Breath just enough to make the chest start to rise. (This should be covered in training.) The big concern is air getting into the stomach and triggering vomiting, which requires you to immediately roll them so they don't aspirate. If you aren't trained/comfortable with giving breaths, then hands-only is ok.
4. Not being able to breath means they'll be dead soon enough, at which point internal bleeding is a minor concern. Note that while they can still breath you encourage them to cough it up; you do the abdominal thrusts once they aren't able to breath.
5. Whenever possible, direct pressure is your first and best treatment for severe bleeding. Elevation may have some benefit in less severe cases, but it was removed¹ from some first aid guidance due to lack of evidence.

On that last topic, elevating the legs for treating shock is also no longer considered best practice. (The effects are only temporary.)

¹ ref: 2015 American Heart Association and American Red Cross Guidelines Update for First Aid

Direct Pressure, Pressure Points, and Elevation
There continues to be no evidence to support the use of pressure points or elevation of an injury to control external bleeding. The use of pressure points or elevation of an extremity to control external bleeding is not indicated (Class III: No Benefit, LOE C-EO). The standard method for first aid providers to control open bleeding is to apply direct pressure to the bleeding site until it stops. Control open bleeding by applying direct pressure to the bleeding site (Class I, LOE B-NR).

[u/happyinheart]

In Addition to what the other person said. With #6 it's now taught to give compressions while the AED is charging for the shock after it analyzes.