First Aid Decision Tree

Ensure your own safety before helping others. Assess the scene for hazards such as fire, traffic, electrical wires, or unstable structures. Call 911 or your local emergency number for any life-threatening situation. Then provide care within your training level while waiting for professional help to arrive.

Call 911 when someone has difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, chest pain, signs of stroke, severe allergic reactions, loss of consciousness, or any injury that could involve the spine. Paramedics can begin treatment immediately and notify the hospital in advance. Driving yourself is generally appropriate only for minor injuries that do not affect your ability to drive safely.

A well-stocked first aid kit should include adhesive bandages in various sizes, sterile gauze pads, medical tape, elastic bandages, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, scissors, disposable gloves, a CPR breathing barrier, an instant cold pack, over-the-counter pain relievers, and a first aid reference guide. For wilderness settings, add a tourniquet, trauma shears, a SAM splint, and hemostatic gauze.

Continue CPR until one of these things happens: the person starts breathing on their own, emergency medical services arrive and take over, you are physically unable to continue, or an AED advises you to stop. In cold water drowning or hypothermia cases, resuscitation efforts should continue even longer than normal.

Most jurisdictions have Good Samaritan laws that protect people who provide reasonable emergency assistance in good faith. These laws are designed to encourage bystanders to help without fear of legal liability. However, you should act within your level of training and not attempt procedures you are not qualified to perform. The specifics vary by state and country.