assessing the victim

© 2011 National Safety Council

ASSESSING THE VICTIMLESSON 4

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Assess the Victim

• Check scene for safety

• Initial assessment for life-threatening conditions

- Unresponsiveness- Lack of normal breathing- Severe bleeding

• Secondary assessment

• Monitor the victim for any changes

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Initial Assessment continued

• Takes less than one minute

• Do not move victim unless:

- Imminent danger to victim- Cannot give life-saving care because of victim’s location or

position

• AVPU Scale

- Alert- Verbal stimuli (response)- Painful stimuli (response)- Unresponsive to all stimuli

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Check for Responsiveness and Normal Breathing

• Tap person on shoulder and shout “Are you okay?”

- A person who is speaking, coughing or moving is responsive

- A person who may be paralyzed may have purposeful eye movements or other signs

• Check the person first in the position found.

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Unresponsiveness

• A sign of a life-threatening problem

• Call 9-1-1 immediately

• At same time look for normal breathing

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Check for Normal Breathing

• A victim who can speak or cough is breathing

• Gasping is not normal breathing

• Check victim first in position found

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Breathing Normally?

• If victim is breathing normally, continue assessment

• If unresponsive victim is not breathing normally, start CPR

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Check for Severe Bleeding

• Severe bleeding is life-threatening

• Control with direct pressure

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Recovery Position

• Helps keep airway open

• Allows fluid to drain from mouth

• Prevents aspiration

• If possible, put victim onto left side

• Continue to monitor breathing

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Recovery Position (HAINES-High Arm IN Endangered Spine)

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Secondary Assessment

• Performed only for victims without life-threatening conditions

• Do not interrupt care for serious problem

• Can provide additional information

• Usually performed on responsive victims

• Includes history and physical examination

• Focused primarily on injured area

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Get the Victim’s History

• Talk to a responsive victim

• Ask bystanders or family members what happened

• Consider the mechanism of injury

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SAMPLE HISTORY

S Signs and symptoms

A Allergies

M Medications

P Previous problems

L Last food or drink

E Events

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Unresponsive Victim

• Ask family or bystanders what happened

• Check the scene for clues

• Consider effects of environmental extremes

• Consider victim’s age

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Physical Examination continued

• Examine a responsive victim from head to toe for:

- Bleeding or other open wounds

- Pain, tenderness when victim is touched

- Swelling or deformity- Skin color, temperature,

condition- Abnormal sensation or

movement

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© 2011 National Safety Council

DOTS: What to look for

D Deformities

O Open injuries

T Tenderness (pain)

S Swelling

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Examining a Child or Infant

• Use simple questions

• Involve parents or guardians

• Perform physical examination toe to head

• Talk calmly and soothingly

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© 2011 National Safety Council

Monitor the Victim

• Give first aid for any injury or illness

• For unresponsive victim or victim with serious injury:

- Make sure condition doesn’t get worse- Repeat breathing assessment at least every five minutes

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