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First Aid Unit: Expected Questions and Answers

1. BASIC FIRST AID PRINCIPLES

Q: What is First Aid?

A: First Aid is the immediate care given to an injured or suddenly ill person before professional medical help arrives. It aims to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and promote recovery.

Q: What are the three main objectives of First Aid?

A:

  1. Preserve life - Keep the victim alive
  2. Prevent further injury - Stop the condition from getting worse
  3. Promote recovery - Help the healing process begin

Q: What does the acronym "DRABC" stand for?

A:

  • D - Danger (assess the scene)
  • R - Response (check consciousness)
  • A - Airway (open and clear)
  • B - Breathing (check and assist)
  • C - Circulation (check pulse and control bleeding)

Q: What are the qualities of a good First Aider?

A:

  • Calm and reassuring
  • Quick thinking and decisive
  • Gentle but firm
  • Observant and alert
  • Resourceful and adaptable
  • Knowledgeable about basic techniques

2. EMERGENCY ASSESSMENT

Q: How do you assess an unconscious person?

A:

  1. Check for responsiveness (tap shoulders, shout)
  2. Call for help immediately
  3. Check airway, breathing, and circulation
  4. Place in recovery position if breathing
  5. Begin CPR if not breathing and no pulse

Q: What is the recovery position and when is it used?

A: The recovery position is placing an unconscious but breathing person on their side with their head tilted back slightly. Used when:

  • Person is unconscious but breathing normally
  • To prevent choking on vomit or saliva
  • To keep airway open
  • While waiting for medical help

Q: What are the primary and secondary surveys?

A: Primary Survey: Quick assessment of life-threatening conditions (DRABC) Secondary Survey: Detailed head-to-toe examination for other injuries after immediate threats are addressed

3. CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR)

Q: What are the steps for adult CPR?

A:

  1. Check responsiveness and breathing
  2. Call 911/emergency services
  3. Place heel of hand on center of chest
  4. Give 30 chest compressions (2 inches deep, 100-120/min)
  5. Give 2 rescue breaths
  6. Continue cycles of 30:2 until help arrives

Q: What is the compression-to-ventilation ratio for different age groups?

A:

  • Adult: 30:2 (single rescuer), 30:2 (two rescuers)
  • Child: 30:2 (single rescuer), 15:2 (two rescuers)
  • Infant: 30:2 (single rescuer), 15:2 (two rescuers)

Q: How do you recognize cardiac arrest?

A:

  • Unresponsive to verbal or physical stimuli
  • No normal breathing (may have gasping)
  • No pulse (if trained to check)
  • Blue/gray skin color
  • Unconscious

4. CHOKING EMERGENCIES

Q: How do you treat a conscious choking adult?

A:

  1. Encourage coughing if possible
  2. Give 5 back blows between shoulder blades
  3. Give 5 abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
  4. Continue alternating until object is expelled or person becomes unconscious
  5. Call emergency services

Q: How is choking treatment different for infants?

A:

  • Hold infant face down on forearm
  • Give 5 back blows with heel of hand
  • Turn infant face up
  • Give 5 chest thrusts with two fingers
  • Check mouth for visible object
  • Continue until object is expelled

Q: What should you do if a choking person becomes unconscious?

A:

  1. Lower person to ground
  2. Call emergency services
  3. Begin CPR immediately
  4. Before each rescue breath, check mouth for visible object
  5. If object is visible, remove it with finger sweep

5. BLEEDING CONTROL

Q: What are the methods to control bleeding?

A:

  1. Direct pressure - Apply firm pressure to wound
  2. Elevation - Raise injured area above heart level
  3. Pressure points - Apply pressure to arteries
  4. Tourniquet - Last resort for severe limb bleeding

Q: How do you treat severe bleeding?

A:

  1. Apply direct pressure with clean cloth/bandage
  2. Elevate the injured area if possible
  3. Add more dressings if blood soaks through
  4. Apply pressure bandage
  5. Treat for shock
  6. Get medical help immediately

Q: What is shock and how do you treat it?

A: Shock: Life-threatening condition where body doesn't get enough blood flow Treatment:

  • Lay person down with legs elevated
  • Keep warm with blankets
  • Do not give food or water
  • Monitor breathing and pulse
  • Reassure and comfort
  • Get medical help immediately

6. WOUND CARE

Q: What are the types of wounds?

A:

  • Abrasions - Scrapes on skin surface
  • Lacerations - Deep cuts with jagged edges
  • Incisions - Clean cuts with straight edges
  • Punctures - Deep holes from sharp objects
  • Avulsions - Torn away tissue

Q: How do you clean and dress a wound?

A:

  1. Wash hands thoroughly
  2. Control bleeding with direct pressure
  3. Clean around wound with antiseptic
  4. Apply antibiotic ointment if available
  5. Cover with sterile dressing
  6. Secure with bandage
  7. Monitor for signs of infection

Q: What are signs of infection in a wound?

A:

  • Increased pain, swelling, redness
  • Warmth around wound
  • Pus or unusual discharge
  • Red streaks from wound
  • Fever
  • Wound edges separating

7. BURNS

Q: What are the classifications of burns?

A:

  • First-degree - Affects only outer skin layer (red, painful)
  • Second-degree - Affects outer and underlying skin (blisters, very painful)
  • Third-degree - Affects all skin layers (white/charred, may not be painful)

Q: How do you treat different types of burns?

A: First-degree:

  • Cool with water for 10-15 minutes
  • Apply aloe vera or moisturizer
  • Cover with loose bandage

Second-degree:

  • Cool with water
  • Don't break blisters
  • Apply loose, sterile bandage
  • Seek medical attention for large areas

Third-degree:

  • Call emergency services immediately
  • Don't remove clothing stuck to burn
  • Cover with clean, dry cloth
  • Don't use ice or water
  • Treat for shock

Q: What should you NOT do for burns?

A:

  • Don't use ice or very cold water
  • Don't apply butter, oils, or creams
  • Don't break blisters
  • Don't remove clothing stuck to burn
  • Don't use cotton balls or fluffy materials

8. FRACTURES AND SPRAINS

Q: How do you recognize a fracture?

A:

  • Pain and tenderness
  • Swelling and bruising
  • Deformity or abnormal position
  • Inability to use the limb normally
  • Grinding sound (crepitus)
  • Numbness or tingling

Q: How do you treat a suspected fracture?

A:

  1. Don't move the person unless in danger
  2. Immobilize the injured area
  3. Support above and below the injury
  4. Apply ice wrapped in cloth
  5. Treat for shock
  6. Get medical help immediately

Q: What's the difference between a sprain and a strain?

A: Sprain: Injury to ligaments (connects bone to bone) Strain: Injury to muscles or tendons (connects muscle to bone)

Treatment for both: RICE method

  • Rest the injured area
  • Ice for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours
  • Compression with elastic bandage
  • Elevation above heart level

9. MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

Q: What are the signs of a heart attack?

A:

  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Pain radiating to arm, jaw, or back
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Sweating
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness

Q: How do you help someone having a heart attack?

A:

  1. Call emergency services immediately
  2. Help person sit or lie down comfortably
  3. Loosen tight clothing
  4. Give aspirin if not allergic and conscious
  5. Be prepared to perform CPR
  6. Stay with person until help arrives

Q: What are the signs of stroke (FAST)?

A:

  • Face drooping (smile is uneven)
  • Arm weakness (can't raise both arms)
  • Speech difficulty (slurred or strange)
  • Time to call emergency services

Q: What should you do for someone having a seizure?

A:

  1. Stay calm and time the seizure
  2. Clear area of dangerous objects
  3. Don't restrain the person
  4. Don't put anything in their mouth
  5. Turn on side when seizure ends
  6. Call emergency services if seizure lasts >5 minutes

10. POISONING

Q: What are the general steps for poisoning?

A:

  1. Identify the poison if possible
  2. Call Poison Control Center
  3. Follow their specific instructions
  4. Monitor vital signs
  5. Be prepared to perform CPR
  6. Don't induce vomiting unless instructed

Q: How do you treat different types of poisoning?

A: Ingested poison:

  • Don't induce vomiting
  • Give water to dilute (if conscious)
  • Save container/label

Inhaled poison:

  • Move to fresh air immediately
  • Loosen tight clothing
  • Monitor breathing

Absorbed poison:

  • Remove contaminated clothing
  • Flush skin with water for 15-20 minutes
  • Remove contact lenses if affected

11. ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCIES

Q: How do you treat heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke?

A: Heat Exhaustion:

  • Move to cool place
  • Remove excess clothing
  • Apply cool, wet cloths
  • Give cool water to drink
  • Fan the person

Heat Stroke (Emergency!):

  • Call 911 immediately
  • Cool aggressively with ice packs
  • Don't give fluids
  • Monitor for shock
  • Be prepared for seizures

Q: How do you treat hypothermia?

A:

  1. Get person to warm, dry place
  2. Remove wet clothing
  3. Wrap in blankets
  4. Give warm, sweet drinks (if conscious)
  5. Don't give alcohol or caffeine
  6. Handle gently to avoid cardiac arrest
  7. Get medical help

Q: What's the treatment for different types of bites and stings?

A: Snake bite:

  • Keep person calm and still
  • Remove jewelry before swelling
  • Don't cut, suck, or apply ice
  • Get medical help immediately

Insect stings:

  • Remove stinger by scraping
  • Apply ice to reduce swelling
  • Watch for allergic reactions
  • Give antihistamine if available

Animal bites:

  • Control bleeding
  • Clean wound thoroughly
  • Apply antibiotic ointment
  • Seek medical attention for tetanus/rabies

12. COMMON EXAM FORMATS

Multiple Choice Questions

  • Focus on immediate actions
  • Prioritize life-threatening conditions
  • Remember ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)

Scenario-Based Questions

  • Read carefully for all details
  • Identify the primary problem
  • Follow systematic approach (DRABC)
  • Consider safety first

Practical Demonstrations

  • Practice proper body mechanics
  • Use appropriate equipment
  • Communicate clearly with victim
  • Show confidence in techniques
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    First Aid Unit: Expected Questions and Answers | Claude