Basic first aid procedures can help you get someone through a medical crisis, at least until the paramedics arrive or you can get them to a hospital. The best way to prepare for these events is to get official first aid training, such as that offered by the American Red Cross.

Until you're able to do that, though, you can learn some basic first aid procedures. That way, you can respond the right way when someone needs you to.


First aid is the care a sick or injured person gets before they get full medical treatment. In some cases, it may be the only care someone needs, while in others, it may keep them safe until paramedics arrive or someone else gets them to the hospital.

First aid can include everything from bandaging a minor wound to preventing shock to keeping someone's heart beating during a cardiac event. Ideally, it should be performed by someone who's taken a class and is certified in first aid, but if no one is available, anyone with some basic knowledge can pitch in.

When someone is unconscious or unresponsive, a basic tenet of first aid is ABC:

Airway: If someone's not breathing, clear their airway.

Breathing: If the airway is clear and they're still not breathing, provide rescue breathing.

Circulation: Chest compressions to keep blood circulating should be performed along with rescue breathing. If the person is breathing but unresponsive, check their pulse to see if their heart has stopped and, if so, provide chest compressions.

An alternate and simpler version of the ABCs is:

Awake? If not, try to wake them. If they don't wake up, make sure someone is calling an emergency number and move on to B.

Breathing? If not, start rescue breathing and chest compressions. If so, move on to C.

Continue care: Follow instructions from the dialed emergency number or continue treatment until an ambulance arrives.

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(Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

This is the most important medical procedure of all. If a person is in cardiac arrest (the heart is no longer pumping blood) and CPR is not performed, that person will die. On the other hand, performing CPR or using an AED could save a life.

AEDs are available in many public areas and businesses. These devices are simplified for use even if you have never been trained. CPR training will include getting familiar with AED use, which can save valuable time if you need to use one.

First Aid for Suspected Cardiac Arrest

When you suspect someone is in cardiac arrest;

¹Get someone to call 911 or the medical alert system for your location.

²Start chest compressions immediately. Push down hard and fast in the center of the chest, allowing the chest to come back up naturally between compressions. Continue until someone with more training has arrived.

³If you're trained in CPR, use chest compressions and rescue breathing.

⁴Use an AED if one is available. It's important to not delay chest compressions, though, so have someone else find one while you do chest compressions.

BLEEDING


First Aid for Bleeding

If you're faced with bleeding;

¹Rinse the wound with water if possible.

²Cover the wound with a gauze or cloth (towel, blanket, clothing, whatever's available).

³Apply direct pressure to stop the blood flow and encourage clotting.

⁴If possible, elevate the bleeding body part above the heart.

⁵Don't remove the cloth if it becomes soaked through, but add more layers if needed. Removing the first layer will interfere with the clotting process and result in more blood loss.

⁶Once bleeding is stopped, apply a clean bandage.

First Aid for Choking
To perform the Heimlich maneuver:12

¹Stand behind the person and lean them slightly forward

²Put your arms around their waist

³Clench a fist and place it between their navel and rib cage

⁴Grab your fist with your other hand

⁵Pull the clenched fist sharply backward and upward under their rib cage in 5 quick thrusts. Repeat until the object is coughed up.

⁶For someone who's obese or pregnant, perform thrusts around the chest instead of the abdomen.

If someone is unconscious:

Place them on their back and kneel over them
Place the heel of your hand slightly above the navel
Place your other hand on top of it
Give quick upward thrusts to dislodge the obstruction

First Aid for Burns
Take these first aid steps:

Flush the burned area with cool running water for several minutes. Do not use ice.15
Apply a light gauze bandage.
Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief if necessary.
Do not break any blisters that may have formed.16
Do not apply ointments, butter, or oily remedies to a burn.

First Aid for Blisters
If the blister is large or painful—especially if the activity that caused it isn’t finished (such as if you are in the middle of a hike)—follow these steps to drain and dress a blister:18

Wash your hands and sterilize a needle with alcohol.
Make small punctures at the edge of the blister.
Gently push the fluid out.
Apply antibiotic ointment.
Bandage it.
If possible, take steps to protect the area from further rubbing or pressure.
If the blister broke open on its own:

Gently wash with clean water only.
Smooth the flap of broken skin over the newly exposed skin, unless it's dirty, torn, or pus has gathered under it.
Apply petroleum jelly.
Bandage it.
Change the bandage any time it gets wet. Take it off when you go to bed so the area can dry.

First Aid for Suspected Fracture
Take these steps for a suspected fracture:20

Don't try to straighten it.
For a limb, use a splint and padding to immobilize it.
Put a cold pack on the injury, with a barrier between it and the skin to prevent tissue damage. If ice is all that's available, put it in a plastic bag and wrap it in a shirt or towel.
If it's an extremity, elevate it.
Give anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) for pain.

First Aid for Sprains
For a suspected sprain:23

Immobilize the limb
Apply a cold pack
Elevate the injured part if you can do so safely
Use NSAIDs for pain
See your doctor soon for further diagnosis and treatment.

First Aid for Nosebleed
The first aid for nosebleed includes:26

Lean slightly forward, not back.
Pinch the nose just below the bridge, high enough that the nostrils aren't pinched closed.
Check after five minutes to see if bleeding has stopped. If not, continue pinching and check after another 10 minutes.
You can also apply a cold pack to the bridge of the nose while pinching.

First Aid for Frostbite
Treating frostbite is a delicate procedure of gradual warming. If at all possible, this should be done by professionals at a medical facility. If that's not possible, or while awaiting an ambulance, you can begin first aid:27

Get out of the cold.
Immerse the affected area in warm water (98 to 105 F) for 20 to 30 minutes.
Do not rub the affected area.
Do not use sources of dry heat (like a heating pad or fire air).
For fingers and toes: After they're warm, put clean cotton balls between them.
Loosely wrap the area with bandages.
Use Tylenol or Advil for pain.
Get medical attention as soon as possible.
For small areas of minor frostbite, you can also warm the area with skin-to-skin contact.

Get emergency treatment if the skin is hard and begins turning white.

First Aid for Bee Stings
Follow these steps for bee sting first aid:15

Get the stinger out any way you can to keep it from injecting more venom. The method doesn't matter—it's most important to do it quickly.
Wash the area with soap and water.
Use a cold pack to reduce swelling at the site, but don't apply ice directly to the skin.
Use an antihistamine like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to reduce swelling and itching.
Use Advil or Tylenol for pain.