CANADIAN RED CROSS LATEST A+ QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS UNVAILED!
Tourniquets
What is a Tourniquet?
A tourniquet is a tight band placed around an extremity (e.g., an arm or leg). It constricts the blood
vessels to stop life-threatening bleeding in circumstances where applying direct pressure to control the
bleeding is impossible or not effective.
When to Apply a Tourniquet
In general, you should apply a tourniquet if a person has life-threatening external bleeding and you are
not able to control it with direct pressure, or if medical care will be delayed. You should apply a
tourniquet in the following situations:
- The bleeding is not controlled by direct pressure alone.
- You are unable to apply direct pressure (e.g., if you cannot access the wound).
- You must move the person, and can’t apply direct pressure while you do so.
Applying a Tourniquet
How to apply a tourniquet
1. Place the tourniquet on the limb: It should be one hand's width above the injury and at least two
fingers' width above any joint.
2. Tighten the tourniquet until the bleeding stops.
3. Secure the tourniquet in place
4. Document the time the tourniquet was tightened
Once a tourniquet is in place, it should not be removed.
Note:
Commercial tourniquets are preferred to improvised ones, but improvised tourniquets can also be very
effective. If a commercial tourniquet is not available, you can improvise by using everyday objects, such
as a triangular bandage and a marker
Life-Threatening Internal Bleeding: What to Look For and What to Do
Internal bleeding is the escape of blood from arteries, veins, or capillaries into spaces in the body. You
should suspect internal bleeding after any injury that involves a forceful blow to the body, such as a fall
from a height. Internal bleeding may also occur when a sharp object, such as a knife, penetrates the skin
and damages internal structures.
What to Look For
,The signs and symptoms of life-threatening internal bleeding include:
- Bruising and pain in the injured area
- Soft tissues that are tender, swollen, or hard
- Blood in saliva or vomit
Severe thirst, nausea, or vomiting
- Anxiety
What to Do
Call
Call EMS/9-1-1 and get an AED.
Care
1. Have the person rest quietly until EMS personnel arrive.
CPR
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a skill that is used when a person is unresponsive and not
breathing.
CPR involves giving sets of 30 chest compressions followed by sets of 2 rescue breaths. CPR keeps
oxygenated blood moving to the brain and other vital organs until advanced medical help arrives.
Clinical and Biological Death
Clinical death occurs when breathing stops and the heart stops beating. A person without a heartbeat is
clinically dead. Because permanent brain damage does not begin for 4 to 6 minutes, clinical death is
reversible with immediate care and intervention, such as giving CPR.
Biological death occurs when the brain becomes irreversibly damaged, which happens after about 8 to
10 minutes without oxygen. This is also called “brain death”.
CPR: What to Do
Call
Have someone call EMS/9-1-1 and get an AED
Adult:
If you are alone with an adult, call EMS/9-1-1 yourself, get an AED, and then return to care for the
person.
Child or Baby:
If you are alone with a child or baby and are not close to a phone, do 5 cycles (2 minutes) of CPR before
calling EMS/9-1-1. If you don't suspect a head and/or spinal injury, take the child or baby with you to call
EMS/9-1-1 and get an AED, and then continue to provide care
, Note:
For each minute that CPR and use of an AED are delayed, the person's chance of survival is reduced by
about 10%.
Care
Adult or Child:
1. Do 30 chest compressions:
- Put 2 hands in centre of the person's chest.
- Push Deeply and steadily, allowing the chest to recoil between compressions.
2. Give 2 breaths:
- Open the airway
- Place your barrier device over the person's mouth and nose, and pinch the person's nostrils.
- Give just enough air to make the chest start to rise.
3. If both breaths go in, repeat the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
Baby (Less than 1 year):
1. Do 30 chest compressions:
- Put 2 fingers in centre of the baby's chest, just below the nipple line.
- Push deeply and steadily, allowing the chest to recoil between compressions.
2. Give 2 breaths:
- Open the airway
- Place your barrier device over the baby's mouth and nose.
- Give just enough air to make the chest start to rise.
3. If both breaths go in, repeat the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
Once you begin CPR, it is very important that you continue until:
- EMS personnel or another person takes over.
- You are too tired to continue
- The scene becomes unsafe.
- You notice an obvious sign of life, such as movement.
Compression-Only CPR
ANSWERS UNVAILED!
Tourniquets
What is a Tourniquet?
A tourniquet is a tight band placed around an extremity (e.g., an arm or leg). It constricts the blood
vessels to stop life-threatening bleeding in circumstances where applying direct pressure to control the
bleeding is impossible or not effective.
When to Apply a Tourniquet
In general, you should apply a tourniquet if a person has life-threatening external bleeding and you are
not able to control it with direct pressure, or if medical care will be delayed. You should apply a
tourniquet in the following situations:
- The bleeding is not controlled by direct pressure alone.
- You are unable to apply direct pressure (e.g., if you cannot access the wound).
- You must move the person, and can’t apply direct pressure while you do so.
Applying a Tourniquet
How to apply a tourniquet
1. Place the tourniquet on the limb: It should be one hand's width above the injury and at least two
fingers' width above any joint.
2. Tighten the tourniquet until the bleeding stops.
3. Secure the tourniquet in place
4. Document the time the tourniquet was tightened
Once a tourniquet is in place, it should not be removed.
Note:
Commercial tourniquets are preferred to improvised ones, but improvised tourniquets can also be very
effective. If a commercial tourniquet is not available, you can improvise by using everyday objects, such
as a triangular bandage and a marker
Life-Threatening Internal Bleeding: What to Look For and What to Do
Internal bleeding is the escape of blood from arteries, veins, or capillaries into spaces in the body. You
should suspect internal bleeding after any injury that involves a forceful blow to the body, such as a fall
from a height. Internal bleeding may also occur when a sharp object, such as a knife, penetrates the skin
and damages internal structures.
What to Look For
,The signs and symptoms of life-threatening internal bleeding include:
- Bruising and pain in the injured area
- Soft tissues that are tender, swollen, or hard
- Blood in saliva or vomit
Severe thirst, nausea, or vomiting
- Anxiety
What to Do
Call
Call EMS/9-1-1 and get an AED.
Care
1. Have the person rest quietly until EMS personnel arrive.
CPR
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a skill that is used when a person is unresponsive and not
breathing.
CPR involves giving sets of 30 chest compressions followed by sets of 2 rescue breaths. CPR keeps
oxygenated blood moving to the brain and other vital organs until advanced medical help arrives.
Clinical and Biological Death
Clinical death occurs when breathing stops and the heart stops beating. A person without a heartbeat is
clinically dead. Because permanent brain damage does not begin for 4 to 6 minutes, clinical death is
reversible with immediate care and intervention, such as giving CPR.
Biological death occurs when the brain becomes irreversibly damaged, which happens after about 8 to
10 minutes without oxygen. This is also called “brain death”.
CPR: What to Do
Call
Have someone call EMS/9-1-1 and get an AED
Adult:
If you are alone with an adult, call EMS/9-1-1 yourself, get an AED, and then return to care for the
person.
Child or Baby:
If you are alone with a child or baby and are not close to a phone, do 5 cycles (2 minutes) of CPR before
calling EMS/9-1-1. If you don't suspect a head and/or spinal injury, take the child or baby with you to call
EMS/9-1-1 and get an AED, and then continue to provide care
, Note:
For each minute that CPR and use of an AED are delayed, the person's chance of survival is reduced by
about 10%.
Care
Adult or Child:
1. Do 30 chest compressions:
- Put 2 hands in centre of the person's chest.
- Push Deeply and steadily, allowing the chest to recoil between compressions.
2. Give 2 breaths:
- Open the airway
- Place your barrier device over the person's mouth and nose, and pinch the person's nostrils.
- Give just enough air to make the chest start to rise.
3. If both breaths go in, repeat the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
Baby (Less than 1 year):
1. Do 30 chest compressions:
- Put 2 fingers in centre of the baby's chest, just below the nipple line.
- Push deeply and steadily, allowing the chest to recoil between compressions.
2. Give 2 breaths:
- Open the airway
- Place your barrier device over the baby's mouth and nose.
- Give just enough air to make the chest start to rise.
3. If both breaths go in, repeat the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
Once you begin CPR, it is very important that you continue until:
- EMS personnel or another person takes over.
- You are too tired to continue
- The scene becomes unsafe.
- You notice an obvious sign of life, such as movement.
Compression-Only CPR
