It can be difficult to tell whether an injury is a fracture, dislocation, sprain or strain. If in doubt, always treat as a fracture. This Sprains and Strains Fact Sheet covers essential first aid steps for managing Sprains and Strains.

Signs & Symptoms:

Sprain

• intense pain
• restricted movement of the
• injured joint
• rapid development of swelling and bruising

Strain

• sharp, sudden pain in the region of the injury
• usually loss of power
• muscle tenderness

What to do when managing Strains and Sprains:

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Follow RICER:
   Rest – rest the patient and the injured part
   Ice – apply an ice pack or cold pack for 15 minutes every 2 hours for 24 hours, then for 15 minutes every 4 hours for 24 hours
   Compression – apply a compression bandage firmly to extend well beyond the injury
   Elevation – elevate the injured part.
   Refer – refer them to a medical professional
3. Avoid HARM:
   Heat
   Alcohol
   Running or other exercise of the injured area
   Massage.
4. Seek medical aid.

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All known or suspected snake bites must be treated as potentially life threatening, and medical aid should be sought urgently. This Snake Bite Fact Sheet covers essential first aid steps to manage a Snake Bite.

Signs & Symptoms:

Signs of a snake bite are not always visible. In some cases, the patient may not have felt anything. Symptoms may not appear for an hour or more after the person has been bitten.
Depending on the type of snake, signs and symptoms may include some or all of the following:

• immediate or delayed pain at the bite site
• swelling, bruising or local bleeding
• bite marks (usually on a limb) that may vary from obvious puncture wounds to scratches that may be almost invisible
• swollen and tender glands in the groin or armpit of the bitten limb
• faintness, dizziness
• nausea and vomiting
• headache
• abdominal pain
• oozing of blood from the bite site or gums
• double or blurred vision
• drooping eyelids
• difficulty in speaking or swallowing
• limb weakness or paralysis
• difficulty in breathing
• occasionally, initial collapse or confusion followed by partial or complete recovery.

What to do when managing a snake bite:

1. Pressure bandage & immobilise
2. Follow DRSABCD.
3. Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
4. Lie the snake bite patient down and ask them to keep still. Reassure the patient.
5. If on a limb, apply an elasticised roller bandage (10–15 cm wide) over the bite site as soon as possible.
6. Apply a further elasticised roller bandage (10–15 cm wide), starting just above the fingers or toes and moving upwards on the bitten limb as far as can be reached.
7. Use clothing or other material if an elasticised roller bandage is not available.
8. Apply the bandage as firmly as possible to the limb. You should be unable to easily slide a finger between the bandage and the skin.
9. Immobilise the bandaged limb using splints.
10. Keep the patient lying down and completely still (immobilised).
11. Write down the time of the bite and when the bandage was applied. If possible, mark the location of the bite site (if known) on the skin with a pen, or photograph the site. Do not wash venom off the skin or clothes because it may assist identification.
12. Stay with the patient until medical aid arrives.

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Poisons Information Centre 13 11 26
DO NOT induce vomiting, unless you have been told to do so by the Poisons Information Centre.
DO NOT give the patient anything to eat or drink.
Wash substances off the face and around the mouth with water.

A quick response to suspected Poisoning can save a life and reduce long-term effects. This Poisoning Fact Sheet outlines essential first aid steps to recognise signs and symptoms and how to manage an emergency.

Signs & Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of poisoning can depend on the type of poison, and can include:

• bite or injection marks, with or without local swelling
• burns around and inside the mouth or on the tongue
• smell of fumes
• odours on the breath
• burning pain from mouth to stomach
• nausea, vomiting
• abdominal pain
• difficulty in breathing
• tight feeling in chest
• headache
• ringing in ears
• blurred vision
• blue lips, face, earlobes, fingernails
• drowsiness
• loss of consciousness
• seizures.

What to do:

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
3. Call triple zero (000) for fire services if the air is contaminated with smoke or gas.
4. Reassure the patient.
5. Find out what sort of poison is involved, if possible, and record the information for medical personnel.
6. Call the Poisons Information Centre 13 11 26, and follow their advice.
7. If the patient is becoming drowsy, place them in the recovery position and continue to check their airway and breathing regularly.
8. Send any vomit, containers and suicide notes with the patient to hospital.

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Fatigue is more than just a case of feeling tired or drowsy. It can include both mental and/or physical exhaustion, which can impact you to do your job safely. This could result in injury. This Workplace Fatigue Fact Sheet steps you through the signs symptoms and management.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Blurred vision or impaired visual perception
• Feeling unusually tired or drowsy/lack of energy
• Headaches
• Feeling dizzy
• Finding it difficult to concentrate/memory problems
• Finding it difficult to get up from sleep during days off work
• Muscles feel sore or ache/Muscle weakness
• Reflexes and responses are slower
• Changes in behaviour such as increased moodiness and irritability
• Impaired decision-making and judgement

Ways to manage workplace fatigue risks:

1. Maintain Safe Systems of work
2. Review/evaluate work schedules/work rosters
3. Support workers to identify and report fatigue related hazards
4. Conduct safety surveys incorporating questions related to fatigue management.
5. Introduce a worker well being program
6. Risk Assess hazardous manual tasks to ensure appropriate controls are being used.
7. Include a wellbeing focus into the Safety Management Plan and WHS policy.
8. Train selected personnel in Mental Health First Aid to support and recognise symptoms of mental health impacts.
9. Ensure incident investigations are undertaken to determine if fatigue risks were present and/or contributed to the incident.
10. Introduce Fitness for Work policies.
11. Review levels of absenteeism.
12. Ensure that you have appropriately trained First Aiders to respond to any emergency that may arise. Remember – Safety is everyone’s responsibility.

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Concussion is a serious head injury that requires prompt attention to prevent complications. This Concussion Fact Sheet covers essential first aid steps to recognize and respond to a concussion safely.

Any person who has suffered loss of consciousness or an altered state of consciousness after a blow to the head should not return to their activity (eg sport) and should see a medical practitioner urgently.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Some or all of the following may indicate concussion:
• loss of consciousness
• persistent headache
• faintness, dizziness
• confusion
• loss of memory, particularly of the event
• blurred vision
• slurred speech
• altered or abnormal responses to commands and touch
• vomiting within a few hours after a head injury
• wounds to the scalp or face

What to do when managing concussion:

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. If the concussion patient is conscious and no spinal injury is suspected, place the patient in a position of comfort with their head and shoulders slightly raised.
3. Advise them to seek medical attention.
4. If the patient is unconscious and breathing but a spinal injury is suspected, place the patient in the recovery position, supporting the patient’s head.
5. If the patient is unconscious and NOT breathing start CPR immediately.
6. Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
7. Ensure airway is clear and open. Keep the patient’s airway open by lifting their chin. DO NOT force if the face is badly injured.

Head injury:

1. Control any bleeding with direct pressure at the point of bleeding.
2. If blood or fluid comes from the ear, secure a sterile dressing lightly over the ear. Lie the patient on their injured side, if possible, to allow the fluid to drain.
3. Ensure 000 has been called, noting the patient’s condition so that you can report it to the paramedics.

In a medical emergency call Triple Zero (000). You could save a life with First Aid Training

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An Asthma Emergency can be life-threatening. People who suffer asthma should have an action plan and medication. In an emergency if a patient does not have their own reliever, use another person’s (if permitted under local state or territory regulations), or one from a first aid kit.

This Asthma Fact Sheet provides essential first aid guidance to help you respond quickly and effectively during an asthma attack.

Signs & Symptoms:

Mild to moderate asthma attack

• increasingly soft to loud wheeze
• persistent cough
• minor to obvious difficulty breathing

Severe asthma attack

• symptoms get worse very quickly
• little or no relief from inhaler
• severe shortness of breath, focused only on breathing
• unable to speak normally
• pallor, sweating
• progressively more anxious, subdued
• blue lips, face, earlobes, fingernails

What to do in an Asthma emergency:

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Help the asthma patient to sit down in a comfortable position.
3. Reassure and stay with the patient.
4. If requested, help the patient to follow their action plan.

How to give asthma medication (4 : 4 : 4)

1. Use a spacer if available.
2. Give 4 separate puffs of blue/grey reliever puffer: shake the inhaler, give 1 puff, take 4 breaths
3. repeat until 4 puffs have been given.
4. Wait 4 minutes
5. If there is no improvement, give 4 more separate puffs of blue/grey reliever as above.
6. If the patient still cannot breath normally, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
7. Keep giving 4 puffs every 4 minutes (as above) until medical aid arrives.

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It can be difficult to tell whether an injury is a fracture, dislocation, sprain or strain. If in doubt, always treat as a fracture. DO NOT try to force a broken or dislocated bone back into place.

The steps outlined in this Fractures and Dislocations Fact Sheet will assist you with the first aid management of a fracture or dislocation.

Signs & Symptoms:

Fracture

• pain or tenderness at or near the site of the injury
• swelling
• deformity
• discolouration, redness, bruising
• loss of function
• the patient felt or heard the break occur
• a coarse grating sound is heard or felt as bones rub together

Dislocation

• pain at or near the site of the injury
• difficulty or inability to move the joint
• abnormal mobility of the limb
• loss of power
• deformity (such as an abnormal lump or depression)
• tenderness
• swelling
• discolouration and bruising

What to do:

Fracture

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Ask the patient to remain as still as possible.
3. Control any bleeding, cover any wounds and check for other fractures.
4. Immobilise the broken bone by placing a padded splint along the injured limb.
5. Secure the splint by passing the bandages above and below the break to prevent movement. Tie the bandages firmly and away from the injured side.
6. For a leg fracture, also immobilise the foot and ankle. Support the limb while bandaging.
7. Check that the bandages are not too tight and watch for signs of loss of circulation to the limb every 15 minutes.
8. Seek medical aid.

Dislocation

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Rest and support the limb using soft padding and bandages.
3. For a shoulder injury, support the arm as comfortably as possible.
4. For a wrist injury, support the wrist in a sling.
5. Apply a cold pack directly over the injured joint, if possible.
6. Seek medical aid.
7. Check circulation of the limb. If circulation is absent, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
8. Massage the limb gently to try to restore circulation

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A quick response to Stroke symptoms can save lives and reduce long-term effects. This Fact Sheet outlines essential first aid steps for Stroke first aid management.  This Stroke Management Fact Sheet will support you in recognising the signs and symptoms and appropriate first aid management.

Recognise Signs of a Stroke?

If you see any of these symptoms, act F.A.S.T.!

F – Has the person’s FACE drooped?
A – Can they lift both ARMS?
S – Is the person’s SPEECH slurred? Do they understand you?
T – Call triple zero (000). TIME is critical.

© Stroke Foundation https://strokefoundation.org.au/

Signs & Symptoms:

• facial weakness
• arm weakness
• weakness or paralysis, especially on one side of the body
• difficulty speaking or understanding
• feeling of numbness in face, arm or leg
• disturbed vision
• loss of balance
• faintness, dizziness
• confusion
• loss of consciousness

What to do:

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
3. Reassure the stroke patient. The patient may not be able to clearly communicate, which may cause them extreme anxiety.
4. Help the patient to sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Support the patient’s head and shoulders on pillows.
5. Loosen any tight clothing.
6. Keep the patient warm.
7. Wipe away any secretions from the patient’s mouth.
8. Stay with the patient until medical aid arrives.

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Having one or more signs or symptoms of a heart attack means this is a life-threatening emergency—call triple zero (000) for an ambulance immediately.
It is advised NOT to drive the patient to the hospital yourself, as you may need to perform CPR.

This Heart Attack First Aid Fact Sheet will help you identify the symptoms and step you how to managing this first aid emergency.

Signs & Symptoms

The warning signs of Heart Attack vary.
Symptoms can start suddenly, or develop over time and get progressively worse.
People can have just one symptom or a combination of symptoms. The patient can feel discomfort or pain in the centre of the chest.

This chest pain can:

• start suddenly, or slowly over minutes
• be described as tightness, heaviness, fullness or squeezing
• be severe, moderate or mild.

Chest pain may spread from:

• discomfort in the neck or a choking or burning feel in the throat
• an ache, heaviness or pressure around one or both shoulders
• pain, discomfort, heaviness or uselessness in one or both arms
• an ache or tightness in/around the jaw
• a dull ache between the shoulder blades
• pain, heaviness, tightness or crushing sensation in the centre of the chest.

* Not all patients feel chest discomfort (more than 40% of women do not experience chest pain*).

The patient can also feel:

• short of breath
• nauseous
• faint or dizzy
• a cold sweat.

What to do

1. Follow DRSABCD.
2. Encourage the heart attack patient to immediately stop what they are doing and rest.
3. Help the patient to sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
4. Reassure the patient. Loosen any tight clothing.
5. If the patient has been prescribed medication such as a tablet or mouth spray to treat episodes of chest pain or discomfort associated with angina, help them to take this as they have been directed.
6. Ask the patient to describe their symptoms. If any of the symptoms are severe, get worse quickly, or have lasted 10 minutes, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance and stay on the phone. Wait for advice from the operator.
7. Give 300 milligrams of aspirin (usually one tablet) unless the patient is allergic to aspirin or their doctor has warned them against taking aspirin.
8. Stay with the patient until medical aid arrives.
9. Be prepared to give CPR if symptoms worsen.

* The Heart Foundation, https://www.heartfoundation.org.au

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Choking is silent and can be life threatening. Knowing the signs, symptoms and first aid management of a choking emergency can save a life. This Choking Infant First Aid Fact Sheet will step you through managing a Choking casualty.

If the patient becomes blue, limp or unconscious, follow DRSABCD and call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Infant is a child under 1 year of age

Signs & Symptoms:

• clutching the throat
• coughing, wheezing, gagging
• difficulty in breathing, speaking or swallowing
• making a whistling or ‘crowing’ noise, or no sound at all
• blue lips, face, earlobes, fingernails
• loss of consciousness

What to do – Chocking Infant First Aid:

1. Immediately call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Stay on the phone.
2. Place the choking infant with their head downwards on your forearm, supporting the head and shoulders on your hand.
3. Hold the infant’s mouth open with your fingers.
4. Give up to 5 sharp blows to the back between the shoulders with the heel of one hand, checking if the blockage has been removed after each blow.
5. If the blockage has come loose or been removed, turn the infant into the recovery position and remove any object that may have come loose with your little finger.
6. If the blockage has not been removed after 5 back blows, place the infant on their back on a firm surface.
7. Place 2 fingers on the lower half of the sternum and give up to 5 chest thrusts, checking if the blockage has been removed after each thrust. Support the infant’s head with the other hand.
8. If the blockage has not been removed after 5 thrusts, continue alternating 5 back blows with 5 chest thrusts until medical aid arrives.
9. If the choking infant becomes unconscious, start CPR.

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