Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

2 PREmergency Scene Management

The importance of proper PREmergency Scene Management (PSM) is the number one consideration of the first aid provider. Some form of PSM and patient assessment is used in every first aid encounter and the first aider must develop and practice these skills. This chapter provides you with the information and framework to understand and conduct the Premergency PSM process. PREmergency Scene Management has five steps. 1. Scene Assessment – Ensure scene safety and personal protective equipment (P.P.E.), take control, find out what happened, and call for help (911). 2. Primary Assessment – Assess Level of Consciousness (LOC), Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABCs), treat severe bleeding and other life threats. 3. Secondary Assessment – Perform focused exam for trauma or medical injury/illness. Obtain medical history and vital signs.

PREMERGENCY SCENE MANAGEMENT Scene Assessment Primary Assessment Secondary Assessment Ongoing Care / Transport Hand-Off and Documentation

Although the order of PREmergency Scene Management represents a logical approach to assessment and patient care, the order in which you perform each stage may change based a on patient’s condition. The key: remain organized!

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