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What to do

Here's how to deal with some of the main accidents and emergencies.

Burns

Cool the burn with cold water, and then cover it with a sterile dressing of non-fluffy material, such as cling film, or a plastic bag. Do not put creams on the burn. Seek medical help unless the burn is very minor.

Choking

An obstruction can be mild (the person will be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe), or it can be severe (the person will be unable to do any of the above) and, without assistance, will become unconscious.

Adults and children:

If the obstruction is mild, encourage the person to continue coughing, and try to remove the obstruction from the mouth. If the obstruction is severe, give up to five back blows (between the shoulder blades), using the flat of your hand, and then check the mouth and remove any obstruction.

If the obstruction is still there, give up to five abdominal thrusts. Stand behind the person and put your arms around them, with one fist below the rib cage. Link your hands and pull sharply inwards and upwards. Check the mouth and remove any obvious obstruction. This procedure can also be used for children.

If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and abdominal thrusts, dial 999 (or 112) for an ambulance and continue the procedure until help arrives.

Infants:

For infants who are distressed, and unable to cry, cough, or breathe, lay them face down along your forearm, with their head low, and support the back and head. Give up to five back blows, with the heel of your hand. Check the infant's mouth, using one finger to remove any obvious obstructions. If the obstruction is still present, do not do a finger sweep of the mouth.

Turn the infant onto their back and give up to five chest thrusts, by using two fingertips to push inwards and upwards (towards the head) against the infants breastbone, one finger's breadth below the nipple line. The aim is to relieve the obstruction with each chest thrust rather than necessarily doing all five.

If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, dial 999 (or 112) for an ambulance and continue until help arrives.

Poisoning

If the person is unconscious, put them in the recovery position, and call 999 to ask for an ambulance. Do not give the person anything to drink unless a health professional advises you to. If there are no symptoms, consult the poisons unit at your local hospital.

Electricity

Turn the electricity supply off. If the person is not breathing, carry out the resuscitation procedure (ABC) and call an ambulance. Seek medical help unless the shock is very minor.

Drowning

Once the person is on land, you should carry out the resuscitation procedure (ABC) if the person is not breathing. If unconscious, put the person in the recovery position, and call an ambulance immediately.

Bleeding

Apply and maintain pressure directly to the wound. Use a sterile (clean) dressing to bandage the wound firmly. Raise the wound (if there are no fractures) to decrease the flow of blood. Seek medical help for the bleeding unless it is minor.
 
Wrap any severed body part, such as a finger, in a plastic bag, cling film, or soft material, and keep it cool. If possible, place the severed body part in ice, but do not put it in direct contact with the ice.

Heart attack

If a person's breathing and heartbeat stop, call 999 for an ambulance and initiate the resuscitation procedure (ABC) immediately. If the person becomes unconscious, but is breathing, place them in the recovery position.

Fractures

If the person is unconscious, has difficulty breathing, or is bleeding severely, these should be dealt with first. Do not move the person and gently support the injured part by hand until help arrives

Reproduced under the terms of Click-Use Licence number C2009000382. The content of this page has been published under a Click-Use Licence (link this to http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index) which covers the use of core Crown copyright information. The original material can be found on NHS Choices.