Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

2 PREmergency Scene Management

Deformities – Dislocated joints and broken bones can cause obvious deformity and may bleed severely, both internally and externally. Expose any deformities and look for signs of injury or internal or external bleeding. Open wounds – Look for any break in the skin or bruising. Breaks in the skin may be scrapes, cuts, or punctures and can be shallow or deep. There may be little blood or profuse bleeding depending on the location and the extent of the injury. Severe bruising may indicate internal bleeding. Check the front and back of the patient, taking necessary c-spine precautions if needed. Tenderness – Any pain or soreness that the patient feels. Expose any areas and look for signs of injury. Swelling – Injured or damaged tissue swells. Expose any areas and look for signs of injury.

This time, your head to toe exam will be much slower. In the initial quick scan you simply slid your hands over the patients body looking for obvious deformities or severe bleeding. For the secondary scan, you spend more time observing, looking for signs of internal bleeding or other injury. You will use slightly more pressure as you palpate, assessing for tenderness to the skin or organs and injury to the skeletal structure. You will also use your sense of smell and hearing. If you find an injury, then examine it briefly. If there is no immediate concern of life threat, then note it and continue with the scan. 1. Start at the head and look at the patient’s face. Look for bruising. Inspect the area around the eye and the eyelids. Examine the patient’s eyes for redness and contact lenses. 2. Look at and gently palpate the skull. Check the forehead, top, sides, and back of the head, palpating for any DOTS and observing gloves for any blood.

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