VICTIM ASSESSMENT

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VICTIM ASSESSMENT

• Primary Secondary Survey

2
Beginning First Aid

• Do not move the injured or suddenly ill person
  until you have a clear idea of the injury or
  illness and have applied first aid
• The exception occurs when the victim is exposed
  to further danger at the accident scene
• The first aider must not assume that the obvious
  injuries are the only ones present because less
  noticeable ones may have occured

3
Victim Assessment

• Get the victims consent
• Gain the victims confidence
• Identify the problems and determine which
  requires immediate first aid
• Get info. about victim to give to EMS

4
Primary Survey

• The primary survey is the first step in assessing
  a victim.
• A - Airway Open?
• B - Breathing?
• C - Circulation at carotid pulse?
• H - Hemorrhage - severe bleeding?

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Secondary Survey

• Look for important signs and symptoms of injury
• Sign - something the first aider sees, hears, or
  feels (pale face, no respiration, cool skin)
• Symptom - Something the victim tells the first
  aider (nausea, back pain, no feeling in
  extremities)

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Secondary Survey - Part 1

• Interview - Identify yourself and get consent
• Ask about chief complaint
• For unconscious victim, monitor breathing and
  pulse, and if needed, render rescue breathing or
  CPR

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Interview

• After finding chief complaint use S-A-M-P-L-E for
  taking history and P-A-I-N as a way of describing
  pain
• S-ymptoms (chief complaint)
• A-llergies (may give a clue to problem

• M-edication (may give clue to problem)
• P-reexisting illnesses (
• L-ast food (in case of surgery or food poisoning)
• E-vents prior to injury

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P-A-I-N

• P-eriod of pain (how long? What started it?
• A-rea (Where?)
• I-ntensity (How strong?)
• N-ullify (What stops it? Such as rest, certain
  positions)

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Secondary Survey 2

• Interview is 1 part of secondary survey
• 2 is Vital Signs
• Pulse - 60-100, note rate, rhythm volume
• Respiration - 12-20 breaths/min. Listen for
  whistle or wheeze-constricted airway

• A crowing sound - constricted airway
• A gurgling sound - fluid in airway
• A snoring sound - tongue blockage
• Temperature - note skin condition - temperature
  color capillary refill

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Secondary Survey 3Head-to-Toe Exam

• Tell victim what is being done
• Do not aggravate injuries or contaminate wounds
• Do not move the victim in case of neck and spinal
  injuries
• Removing clothing is not usually necessary

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Head-to-Toe Exam

• Head Neck
• Check scalp for bleeding or deformity (goose egg
  or depression)
• Do not move head
• Check ears and nose for clear fluid or bloody
  discharge
• Mouth for blood or foreign body

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Head-to-Toe Exam - Eyes

• Pupil Size - constricted or dilated
• Look for unequal pupils -
• Use flashlight to see if pupils are reactive to
  light
• No reaction could mean death, coma, cataracts, or
  artificial eye

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Eye - (continued)

• Look at inner eyelid surface - should be pink
• Pale color may indicate anemia or blood loss
• PEARL - Pupils equal and reactive to light

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Head-to-Toe Exam - Chest

• Check for cuts, bruises, penetrations, and
  impaled objects
• Warn victim you are going to apply pressure to
  the sides of the chest
• Pain from squeezing or compressing may indicate
  rib fracture

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Head-to-Toe Exam - Abdomen

• Anything protruding or pentrating
• If complaint is abdominal pain - ask victim to
  point to pain
• Feel for abnormal lumps
• Do not push too deep
• Check for guarding

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Head-to-Toe Exam- Extremity Assessment

• Check arms and legs for injury, deformity, or
  tenderness
• Compare two sides of body
• Check circulation - pulse, warmth of part, and
  capillary refill (greater than 2 seconds is
  abnormal)

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Extremity Assessment - (cont)

• Check the radial pulse - in the wrist
• Check the pedal pulse - on the ankle or top of
  the foot for circulation

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Head-to-Toe Exam-Spine and Back Assessment

• Help victim to avoid excessive movement
• Check sensation and strength in all extremities
  by having them press their foot against your hand
• Spinal injury - may show paraplegia - paralysis
  in both legs

• The stroke victim is likely to have hemiplegia -
  hemi (half), plegia (paralysis)
• Paralysis of an arm or leg on the same side of
  the body

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Putting it all Together

• The assessment will be influenced by whether the
  victim is suffering from a medical problem or
  injury
• Whether conscious or unconscious
• Whether life-threatening conditions are present

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Medical Alert Tag

• May be worn as necklace or bracelet
• Attracts attention in an emergency situation
• Contain wearers medical problem and 24-hour
  phone to call in case of emergency
• Do not remove

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CALL EMS

• Give following info
• Victims location
• Your phone
• What has happened
• of persons needing assistance
• Condition of victim
• What is being done
• Always be last to hang up