First Aid for Accident Victims: Essential Emergency Care Steps Guide

Assemble a Useful First Aid Kit

A good kit saves time. Keep one at home, one in the car and one at work, in a clearly marked box. Include:

• Disposable gloves and a face shield for CPR.
• Sterile gauze pads and rolls, adhesive bandages in various sizes, and non-stick dressings.
• Crepe bandages and triangular bandages.
• Medical tape and safety pins.
• Antiseptic solution or wipes, and saline for rinsing.
• Scissors, tweezers and a thermometer.
• Instant cold packs.
• An emergency blanket.
• Paracetamol and any personal prescribed medicines, such as inhalers.
• Oral rehydration salts.
• A small torch, a pen and a card with emergency numbers.

Check expiry dates every six months.

Cuts, Scrapes and Wounds

Minor Cuts and Grazes

1. 1Wash your hands, and put on gloves if available.
2. 2Press with a clean cloth for a few minutes to stop bleeding.
3. 3Rinse the wound under clean running water for several minutes to remove dirt. Avoid scrubbing.
4. 4Clean around the wound with mild soap, and use an antiseptic on the surrounding skin if available.
5. 5Cover with a sterile dressing or bandage, and change it daily or when wet or dirty.
6. 6Watch for signs of infection: increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus, red streaks or fever.

Deeper or Gaping Wounds

• Apply firm pressure with a clean pad until bleeding stops, and keep pressing for at least 10 minutes without lifting to look.
• Wounds that are deep, gape open, are longer than about 2 centimetres, are on the face or joints, or are caused by dirty, rusty or sharp objects may need stitches, ideally within a few hours, and a tetanus booster.
• Do not close the wound with glue or tape unless trained.

Embedded Objects

Do not pull out knives, glass, wood or metal pieces. Pad around the object, bandage to hold it still and take the person to hospital.

Amputation

Control bleeding with firm pressure or a tourniquet, wrap the severed part in clean moist gauze, place it in a sealed plastic bag and keep it cool on ice (not in direct contact), and go to the hospital immediately with the part.

Tetanus

Any wound, especially dirty or deep ones, can carry tetanus bacteria. If you have not had a tetanus vaccine in the last 5 to 10 years, or you are unsure, see a doctor for a booster.

Bruises, Sprains and Strains: RICE

For soft-tissue injuries such as sprained ankles, pulled muscles and bruises, remember RICE:

• Rest: stop using the injured part.
• Ice: apply a cold pack wrapped in a cloth for 15 to 20 minutes every two to three hours for the first day or two.
• Compression: wrap with an elastic bandage firmly, not too tight.
• Elevation: raise the limb above heart level to reduce swelling.

Paracetamol can ease pain. See a doctor if there is severe pain, inability to bear weight, obvious deformity, numbness, significant swelling or no improvement after a few days, because it could be a fracture or ligament tear.

Suspected Fractures

• Keep the person still and the injured limb supported in the position found.
• Immobilise with a splint above and below the injury, padded and tied firmly but not tightly.
• Cover open wounds with a sterile dressing. Do not push bone back in.
• Apply a cold pack wrapped in cloth.
• Do not give food or drink since surgery may be needed.
• Take or send the person to hospital for X-rays.

Signs of a fracture include severe pain, swelling, deformity, bruising, inability to use the limb and a grating sensation.

Burns and Scalds

• Cool the burn under running water for at least 20 minutes.
• Remove rings and watches near the burn before swelling.
• Cover loosely with a clean non-stick dressing or cling film.
• Do not use ice, ghee, butter, toothpaste, turmeric or creams, and do not burst blisters.
• Give paracetamol for pain, and sips of water if the person is alert and the burn is minor.
• Seek urgent care for burns larger than the person's palm, deep or white, black or leathery burns, burns to the face, hands, feet, genitals or over joints, electrical and chemical burns, and burns in children or older adults.
• Chemical burns: remove contaminated clothing and flush with large amounts of water for at least 20 minutes.

Head Injuries

• Minor bumps: apply a cold pack, rest and watch for symptoms for 24 hours.
• Go to the emergency department if there is loss of consciousness (even brief), repeated vomiting, severe headache, drowsiness, confusion, seizure, weakness, unequal pupils, clear fluid or blood from the nose or ears, bruising behind the ears or around the eyes, or the injury was from a fall from a height or high-speed accident.
• In children, watch for excessive sleepiness, irritability, inconsolable crying, bulging soft spot and vomiting.
• Do not give aspirin. Avoid alcohol.

Eye Injuries

• Foreign particle: do not rub. Blink, or rinse with clean water or saline. If it does not come out, cover and seek care.
• Chemical splash: flush the eye immediately with running water for at least 15 minutes, keeping the eyelids open, then go to hospital.
• Blow to the eye: apply a cold pack gently, without pressing on the eyeball. Seek care for severe pain, vision changes, blood in the eye or a misshapen pupil.
• Penetrating injury: do not remove the object or apply pressure. Cover with a rigid shield, such as a paper cup, and go to hospital.

Nosebleeds

• Sit up and lean forward, not back.
• Pinch the soft part of the nose, below the bony bridge, firmly for 10 to 15 minutes without releasing.
• Breathe through the mouth and spit out any blood.
• Apply a cold pack to the bridge of the nose.
• Seek care if bleeding lasts more than 20 minutes, follows a head injury or the person takes blood thinners.

Dental Injuries

• Knocked-out tooth: hold it by the crown, not the root, rinse gently in milk or saline without scrubbing, and try to replace it in the socket, or keep it in milk. See a dentist immediately, ideally within 30 to 60 minutes. Do not do this for a baby tooth.
• Broken tooth: rinse the mouth, apply a cold compress and see a dentist.

Bites and Stings

• Dog and animal bites: wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, apply antiseptic, cover loosely and go to a doctor immediately for rabies prophylaxis, tetanus and assessment, even if the animal looks healthy.
• Snake bite: keep the person calm and still, immobilise the limb at heart level, remove rings and tight items, do not cut, suck, tie a tight tourniquet or apply ice, and go to hospital urgently for anti-venom. Note the snake's appearance if safe.
• Bee and wasp stings: remove the stinger by scraping, wash, apply a cold pack and watch for allergic reaction. Swelling of the face or lips, breathing difficulty or collapse needs emergency help.
• Scorpion sting: keep calm, clean, apply a cold pack and go to hospital if symptoms such as severe pain, sweating, vomiting or breathing difficulty appear.

Road Accident Injuries: Two-Wheeler Falls

Two-wheeler riders often suffer limb fractures, road rash and head injuries.

• Check for helmet, and do not remove it unless the airway is blocked.
• Control bleeding, immobilise suspected fractures and keep the rider still if neck or back pain is present.
• Clean road rash with running water and cover with a non-stick dressing.
• Take the rider to the hospital for assessment, since internal injuries can be missed.

Poisoning

• Swallowed poison or overdose: call for help immediately. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed. Keep the container.
• Gas or carbon monoxide: move the person into fresh air, call for help and begin CPR if needed.
• Pesticide contact: remove contaminated clothing and wash the skin thoroughly, taking care to protect yourself.

Heat and Cold Injuries

• Heat exhaustion: move to a cool place, loosen clothing, give cool fluids, apply wet cloths and rest. If confusion, collapse or very high temperature occurs (heat stroke), call an ambulance and cool the person quickly with water and fanning.
• Cold injuries: warm gently, do not rub frostbitten areas and seek medical care.

Emotional First Aid

Accidents are frightening. Stay calm, speak softly, explain what you are doing and keep the person from seeing graphic injuries. Reassure children, hold their hand and stay with them. After the event, both victims and helpers may feel shaken, and talking about it helps.

Care at Trustmed Hospital

Trustmed Hospital in Badshahpur, Gurugram, provides 24-hour emergency care for injuries of all kinds, including wound care, fracture management with orthopaedics, surgery, diagnostics and an ambulance service. In an emergency call +91-8700232311.

Frequently Asked Questions