General Emergency First Aid Guide

Detailed notes on specific First Aid situations can also be accessed HERE.

Airway:

Make sure an unconscious person’s airway is open. Two ways of opening a person’s airway:

1. The modified jaw-thrust and
2. The head-tilt/chin lift.

How to do modified jaw-thrust:

1. Kneel behind the person facing the top of the person’s head.
2. Grasp the jaw on both sides where it angles up towards the ears.
3. Move the jaw forward and upward.
4. Pull the lower lip back with your thumb if the lips close.

Important- use modified jaw-thrust only when neck or spine injury is suspected.

How to do Head-tilt/chin:

1. Kneel at the shoulders.
2. Place palm of one hand on the forehead.
3. Place first 2 fingers of the other hand under the bony part of the chin.
4. To open the airway, lift the chin in an upward manner and tilt the head backward.

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Breathing:

After performing the head-tilt/chin lift or modified jaw-thrust, place your head down, close to their mouth then look, listen, and feel for breathing while maintaining open airway. Look to see if the chest is rising and falling, listen for breathing, and feel for air escaping from the mouth. This process should take 3-5 seconds. If there’s no breathing, do the following: While keeping the airway open, pinch the nose closed, make a tight seal over the mouth with yours and give 2 slow breaths (2 seconds long). For an infant or small child, cover the nose and mouth with your mouth and give two small breaths (between 1 – 1 1/2 seconds).

Adult/Large child:

1. Pinch the nose
2. Place your mouth over victim’s mouth.

Infant/Small Child:

1. Cover nose and mouth with your mouth. Breathe in enough air to make the chest rise. If no air goes in, re-open the airway and attempt to continue breathing in. If air goes in, give 2 breaths, if air still does not go in, the airway is probably blocked.

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Choking:

Choking – Adult

1. Ask, if they’re choking. If adult nods yes, ask, if they can speak. If they shakes their head ‘no’ or they can’t make a sound, proceed.
2. Give the Heimlich maneuver using the fist of one hand pointing inward just above the navel. Cover the fist with the other hand and thrust inward and upward toward the head.
3. Repeat thrusts until the object is expelled or the victim becomes unresponsive.

If the victim becomes unresponsive:

• Call EMS immediately.
• Follow CPR-Unresponsive Adult Guidelines.
• Every time you open the airway, look for the foreign object; if you see it, remove it.

Choking – Child

1. Ask if they’re choking. If the child nods yes, ask if they can speak. If the child shakes head no or can’t make a sound, proceed.
2. Perform the Heimlich maneuver by placing the fist of one hand pointing inward just above the navel and placing the other hand over the fist to guide it. Position yourself at the level of the child and thrust inward and upward toward the head.
3. Repeat until the object is expelled or the child becomes unresponsive.

If the child becomes unresponsive:

• If two of you are available, have one follow CPR-Unresponsive Child Guidelines while other rescuer calls EMS.
  CPR – Unresponsive Child Guidelines: every time you open the airway, look for the foreign object; if you see it, remove it. If you do not see an object, don’t sweep the child’s mouth with your finger.
• If there’s only one of you available, follow CPR – Unresponsive Child Guidelines for 1 minute. If child remains unresponsive, call EMS immediately.

Choking – Infant

1. Confirm complete airway obstruction. Check for breathing difficulty, ineffective cough, and weak or absent cry.
2. Support infant by cradling their jaw in your hand and body over forearm. Brace your forearm against your knee.
3. Give 5 back blows, sandwich the infant in your arms and turn over; while supporting infant, give 5 chest thrusts with 2 fingers in middle of the breastbone 1 finger’s breadth below nipple line. Thrust approximately 1/3 or 1/2 the depth of the chest.
4. Repeat back blows and chest thrusts until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unresponsive.

If Infant becomes unresponsive:

• If two rescuers are available, have one follow CPR – Unresponsive Infant Guidelines while the other calls EMS.
  CPR – Unresponsive Infant Guidelines: Every time you open the airway, look for a foreign object; if you see it, remove it. If you do not see it, do not finger sweep the infant’s mouth.
• If only one rescuer available, follow CPR – Unresponsive Infant Guidelines for 1 minute. If infant remains unresponsive, call EMS immediately.

CPR instructions for an adult

1. Establish that the person is unresponsive.
2. Call EMS immediately. Open the airway with the head tilt – chin lift maneuver.
3. Look, listen, and feel for breathing.
4. If the adult isn’t breathing, give 2 slow breaths. Pause between breaths to allow the person to exhale breath.
5. If they’re not breathing, give 2 slow breaths. Pause between breaths to allow them to exhale breath.
6. Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing, or movement).
7. If there are none, begin chest compressions.”Position a hand on centre of breastbone right between the nipples. Position second hand on top of first. Compress chest 1/3 to /2 the depth of the chest.” Do 15 compressions followed by 2 slow breaths (one cycle).” After 1 minute of 15 compressions or 4 cycles followed by 2 slow breaths, check for breathing and signs of circulation.

8. If signs of circulation are present, but there’s no breathing, give 1 slow breath every 5 seconds.
9. Once breathing and circulation have returned, place the victim on their side in the recovery position.

CPR instructions for a child

1. Determine unresponsiveness.
2. Open the airway using the head tilt – chin lift method.
3. Look, listen, and feel for breathing.”If the child isn’t breathing, give 2 slow breaths.”If the child is breathing, position them on their side in the recovery position. Call EMS immediately.Check for signs of circulation (normal breathing, coughing, or movement in response to 2 breaths). THIS SHOULD NOT TAKE MORE THAN 10 SECONDS!

4. If there are no signs of circulation, begin compressions.”Position the heel of one hand in the centre of the breastbone between the nipples.”Compress their chest approximately 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the chest.”Do 5 compressions followed by 1 slow breath (this equals one cycle).
   “After 1 minute (20 cycles) of 5 compressions followed by 1 small breath. Call EMS immediately. Check for breathing and signs of circulation continue the CPR cycle.

   “If signs of circulation are present, but no signs of breathing, give 1 slow breath every 3 seconds.

   “If signs of breathing and circulation are present, place child on side in recovery position.

CPR instructions for an infant

1. Determine unresponsiveness (NEVER shake an infant).
2. Open the airway so the head is in a neutral position using the head lift – chin tilt maneuver.
3. Look, listen, and feel for breathing.”If no breathing, give 2 slow breaths (should be no more than the volume of one adult cheek)”If breathing, keep airway open with head in neutral position. Call EMS immediately.

4. Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement in response to 2 breaths). THIS SHOULD TAKE NO LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS!
5. If no signs of circulation, begin chest compressions.”Use 2 fingers to compress in the centre of the breastbone 1 finger’s breadth below the nipple line.”Compress the sternum 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the chest.”Do 5 compressions followed by 1 slow breath (one cycle).

6. After 1 minute ( or 20 cycles) of 5 compressions followed by 1 small breath, call EMS immediately. Recheck for breathing and signs of circulation:”If no breathing or signs of circulation, continue CPR cycle.”If signs of circulation are present but breathing isn’t, give 1 rescue breath every 3 seconds.”If signs of breathing and circulation are there, keep the infant’s airway open with head in neutral position.

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Bleeding:

If someone’s bleeding, you must stop the bleeding and bandage the wound. Whenever possible:

1. Wash your hands with soap and then wear rubber gloves.
2. Prepare a clean place to administer first aid.
3. Keep hands and first aid materials as clean as possible.

These precautions will reduce the chance of infection. If there is a large amount of blood loss, and/or it is a serious wound, get emergency medical help.

Things around the home that can be used to help control bleeding (if sterile pads are not available) are clean washcloths, towels, diapers, and even sanitary napkins. All these things can be used as pressure dressings.

Besides adhesive tape, other things you can to use to tie (just tight enough to keep the dressing in place) the dressing to the wound include neck ties, stocking, pillow cases, or strips of clothing.

The most common way to stop bleeding is with direct pressure.

This is done by applying a pressure dressing directly over the wound and applying pressure. Once the bleeding stops, secure the dressing to the wound. The dressing shouldn’t be too tight because you don’t want to cut circulation.

If the wound is on the arm or leg, and if direct pressure alone doesn’t stop the bleeding, use elevation. Raise the limb above the heart, then continue bandaging. This will slow the bleeding and also relieve some pain. If the dressing becomes saturated, do not remove it; apply additional dressings.

If direct pressure and elevation doesn’t stop the bleeding, you’ll need to use a pressure point (a point where you feel a pulse) at a place between the wound and body.

Hands: There is a pressure point on the inner side of wrist.

Arms: There is a pressure point located inside each upper arm, between the elbow and the shoulder. What you will be doing is pressing the artery (brachial) against the bone.

Legs: Another pressure point is located in the groin area, where each leg meets the torso. The idea is to press the artery against the bone until the bleeding stops. When you release pressure, release it very slowly and observe the dressing. If it fills with blood, repeat.

Surface Bruises – Signs/Symptoms include: discoloration caused by bleeding in the tissue near the skin’s surface, swelling and pain.

Treatment: Put a very cold, wet cloth over the injured area. Apply manual pressure and elevation to stop bleeding, relieve pain, and reduce swelling.

Serious internal bleeding usually involves internal organs. Signs/Symptoms are large bruises; severe, intense pain; pale cold, clammy skin; dilated pupils; weak, rapid irregular pulse rate; and swelling.
Treatment: Keep the person comfortable, warm and treat for shock if necessary. No food or drink should be administered.

Nosebleeds – Loosen clothing around the neck area and have them sit up with their head tilted forward Have them breathe through the mouth. If a fractured skull is possible, do not attempt to stop bleeding. To do so might put unnecessary pressure on the brain. Otherwise, if bleeding is in front part of the nose, pinch the nostrils together for ten minutes. Place a cold, wet towel on the nose. If the bleeding persists for 20-30 minutes, or is from back of nose, call for emergency medical help immediately.

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Burns – First, Second, and Third Degree:

1st degree burns show a slight redness on the skin.
Treatment can be given by using cool water.

2nd degree burns usually blister and have a red appearance around the burn.
Treatment: Immerse burn into cool water and cover with cool compresses within 30 minutes of accident. Don’t use ointments, salves, or anaesthetics. Call EMS immediately. Sunburns can be 1st degree, 2nd degree, or both.

3rd degree burns show open blisters and is gray or charred around the burn area.
A 3rd degree burn is less painful than a 2nd or 1st degree burn because nerve endings are burned off. The pain starts after the healing begins.
Treatment: Do not use ointments, salves, or anaesthetics. If a small burn – cool the burn with water, wrap with dry dressings, and bandage it loosely. If there is a large burn, use dry dressing and loose bandage only. In 3rd degree burns, treat for shock and monitor breathing/signs of circulation. Call EMS immediately.

Chemical Burn and Inhalation Injuries:

Protect yourself from contamination. Wear protective equipment – mask, gown, safety glasses, and rubber gloves. For chemical burns, flush the affected area with large amounts of water for 20 – 30 minutes. Remove contaminated clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. After flushing with water is completed, cover the area with a sterile dressing. Treat for shock if necessary. Make chemical available for EMS crew to examine.

Note: Never place grease, oil or butter on any type of burn. It will only worsen the situation. Inhalation injuries can be caused by smoke, heat, chemicals, and/or carbon monoxide. Signs & symptoms: hoarse, singed nasal hairs, smoky breath, facial burns, headache, and confusion. Treatment: Move the person away from the area so they can breathe fresh air. Loosen or remove clothing, that is not stuck to the skin, to aid breathing. Place the person in an upright position. Monitor airway and breathing.

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Poisoning:

Swallowed Poisons – Signs& symptoms: Change in behaviour, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhoea, stains on clothing or around the mouth, chemical breath odour, unusually constricted or dilated pupils. Check for open containers or bottles.

Call EMS immediately. While waiting, maintain person’s airway. Read label of ingested material for treatment recommendations. Poisons act differently depending on the poison ingested, NEVER Induce vomiting unless told to by your Poison Control Centre Have poison available for EMS crew to examine. If their lips and skin are bright cherry red, poisoning may be a result of gas, including carbon monoxide.

Treatment: If possible move the person to fresh air and loosen clothing.

Food Poisoning (often occurs 8 hours after eating) – Signs& symptoms of food poisoning from poisonous mushrooms include dimmed vision and drunken behaviour

Botulism (caused by contaminated canned food) Signs& symptoms: include vision problems, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and breathing difficulties.

Salmonella (bacterial contamination) symptoms include nausea, chills, fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea
Treatment: Call EMS immediately. Monitor person for signs of shock or breathing difficulties.

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Heart Attack/ Stroke:

Signs & symptoms of Heart Attack:

• Chest pain that extends to shoulders, arms, jaw – often described as uncomfortable pressure or indigestion;
• Breathing difficulties;
• Sweat;
• Cool, pale skin;
• Nausea and or vomiting.
• The person may deny they are having a heart attack.

Signs & symptoms of Stroke:

• Red face;
• Severe headache;
• Dizziness;
• Breathing problems;
• Loss of bowel/bladder control;
• Confusion;
• Can’t speak;
• Weakness in arms, legs or face – often progressing to paralysis.

Treatment: For both Heart Attack and Stroke, keep the person comfortable and warm; loosen clothing. NEVER give them anything to eat or drink. If possible, place the person in a half-sitting position. Begin rescue breathing or CPR.

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Shock:

Signs & Symptoms of shock can be pale skin colour, breathing difficulty, clammy skin, higher pulse rate, or mental confusion. Restlessness and anxiety may be the first signs and symptoms you observe. No food or drink is to be given.

Treatment for shock is to maintain body temperature and calm the victim. Place a blanket over the person, monitor airway, breathing, signs of circulation, and check for bleeding. You may raise the legs 8 to 12 inches to help the body’s blood flow if you don’t suspect a head, neck back, or leg injury.

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Fractures & Breaks:

The signs & symptoms of fractures, sprains, and strains are: swelling, deformity, discoloration, pain, or possibly (but not always) inability to use affected part. You cannot tell if the person has a fracture, sprain, or strain, treat it as a fracture.

Two types of fractures: Open and Closed.

With an Open fracture the bone has broken through the skin, and bleeding is present. Do not clean the wound or push the bone ends back into the skin.

Treatment for Open and Closed Fractures: Don’t move the person. Keep them warm and still, treat for shock if necessary. Immobilize the injured area by using a splint.

A variety of things that can be used for splinting: boards, cardboard, magazines, pillows, and rolled newspapers.
To splint a fracture:

1. Place the splint above and below the fracture so the splint extends beyond the fracture site.
2. Tie the splint to the fracture, leaving a knot tied on the splint. If the fracture is an arm, place it in a sling. If there is a deformity in the fracture, pad the splint to fit the deformity.

Broken back – Signs & symptoms: the victim may experience pain, numbness, and/or the inability to move legs, feet or toes.

Broken neck – Signs& symptoms: person may have numbness around shoulders, an inability to move fingers, or complete/partial paralysis of the limb. There may be pain or unequal strength in hand grasps. Person may have trouble breathing. Perform rescue breathing if necessary.
Treatment: Person must be completely immobilized. Never move a person to test for pain or extent of mobility. Keep person warm and still. If necessary, maintain airway by performing the modified jaw-thrust. Keep the person lying flat on a firm surface. Place one of your hands on each side of the person’s head and hold the head in a neutral position (not flexed, extended, or rotated). Hold this way until EMS arrives. Never move a victim unless they or you are in imminent danger.

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Head injuries (including skull fractures):

Signs& symptoms: bleeding from the mouth, nose, or ears; drowsiness; confusion; loss of balance; garbled speech; ringing in ears; bruises around eyes or behind ears; unconsciousness; nausea; vomiting and severe headaches.
Treatment: Person should lie down and keep their head still (assume neck injuries). If the person is vomiting or bleeding from the mouth, turn them gently onto their side keeping the neck and head in line.
Wipe out mouth if necessary. Maintain the airway if necessary by performing modified jaw-thrust.

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Object in Eye:

Be extremely careful/gentle. Remove contact lenses if present. Floating objects in the eye that can be seen, may be flushed from the eye with water. Flush from the nose outward so you don’t get the object in the other eye. If the object stays under the upper lid, hold eyelashes of the upper lid and gently pull forward and downward over lower lid, hoping the object sticks to lower lid. Remove with moistened sterile pad or cloth. If this doesn’t work, have a person look upward and roll the upper eyelid back over cotton tipped applicator. Gently wipe off the object with moistened sterile pad or cloth. If the object is under the lower lid, gently pull down the lower lid and remove the object with a moistened sterile pad or cloth.

Never attempt to remove objects embedded in the eye.

Treatment for these injuries consists of bandaging both eyes closed. If embedded object sticks out from the eye socket, stabilize embedded object with soft bandage and place cone over object.

If the eye has been burned by chemicals, acid, gas, alkali, etc.; flood face, eyelids, and eyes with cool water for at least 15 minutes. Lift the eyelid away from eye so the inside of the eyelid is washed. Then wrap a bandage around both eyes and get emergency medical help immediately. Have chemical available for EMS to examine.

If the person has a black eye, if there is swelling present, or if the person complains of blurred vision and/or flashing lights, apply a cold compress and get emergency medical help.

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Electrocution:

Electrocution is a life-threatening emergency.

Before you can help anyone who has been electrocuted, you must shut off the power source. If you can’t reach the plug without putting yourself in danger go to the electrical panel and turn off the power source.

If the power cannot be turned off, contact the utility company and/or local EMS immediately.

Treatment: Treat person according to injuries. The person may be in shock, be unresponsive, or have burns.

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Seizures:

Signs & symptoms: muscle spasms, eyes may roll upward, face/lips turn blue, biting of tongue, may lose bladder and bowel control, and foaming at the mouth. If they vomit, turn them on their side to let the fluid drain out of their mouth.

DO NOT restrain the person and NEVER put anything in their mouth. Protect the head from injury and remove any furniture or equipment that the person may injure themselves on.

After the seizure movements have ceased, watch for breathing problems. The person suffering from the seizure is often tired afterwards. Reassure them and allow for their rest.

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Diabetic Emergencies:

Check for Medic Alert Tag.

Diabetic Coma Signs & Symptoms:

1. Dry mouth, thirsty;

2. Weak, rapid pulse;

3. Stomach pain/vomiting;

4. Confusion;

5. Breathing problems;

6. Eyes appear sunken;

7. Breath smells sickly sweet;

8. May become unconscious.

Treatment: Maintain airway and check breathing and signs of circulation.

Insulin Shock Signs & Symptoms:

1. Headache/dizziness;

2. Hostility;

3. Fainting/seizures;

4. Rapid pulse;

5. Hunger;

6. Sweating/skin – cold, pale, and clammy;

7. Drool.

Treatment: Administer sugar under tongue – avoid giving liquid if unconscious.

Conditions are often confused with intoxication.

If unsure whether the person is suffering from Diabetic Coma or Insulin Shock, treat for insulin shock with sugar as more sugar will not hurt if Diabetic Coma, but could save a life if Insulin Shock.

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Fainting:

Normally when somebody faints they’re unconscious for a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

“If a person is about to faint, act quickly to prevent their fall. Have them sit or lie down and place their head lower than their heart. NEVER give them anything to drink.

“If the person has fainted, lay them on their side and elevate their feet 8 to 12 inches. Loosen their clothing and place a cool cloth on their forehead. If the person vomits, roll them on their side and let fluid to drain from their mouth.

As the person is revived, offer reassurance. Do not allow them to stand up right away. Have them rise slowly. Get emergency medical help if the person does not fully recover in 5 minutes, is elderly, or complains of feeling ill.

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Heat Stroke/Heat Exhaustion:

Heat Stroke – Sign& /symptoms: the person’s skin is hot, red and usually dry; headache; dizziness; dry mouth; pupils are very small; person’s temperature exceeds 104 °. Heat Stroke is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate action. While waiting for emergency medical help, move the person to a cool place. Use fan and/or cool wet blankets to cool body. Place them in a bathtub of cool water. Careful, cold water may cause them to go into shock. If outside, hose them down with cool water.

Heat Exhaustion – Sign& symptoms: cool, pale, moist skin; heavy sweating; wide pupils; headache; nausea; dizziness; rapid, shallow breathing; thirsty; and vomiting.

Treatment: get the person into a cool place. Have them lie down, loosen or remove clothing. Apply a cool compress to forehead.
If conscious, give them cool water to drink every 15 minutes. If untreated, Heat Exhaustion can lead to Heat Stroke.

Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms due to over exertion. They usually involve the abdominals or legs. It is generally thought that this condition is caused by loss of water and salt through sweat.

Treatment: get the person to a cool place. Have them drink cool, low glucose beverages (for example: water, juices). And be sure to avoid overly sugary drinks.

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Cold Emergencies (Hypothermia):

This condition is life threatening.

Hypothermia – Signs& Symptoms: shivering, loss of coordination, the skin is cold, loss of consciousness, slowness or absence of breathing or heart beat.
Treatment: get the person into a warm place. Make sure their clothing is dry, and warm the body, BUT DO IT SLOWLY.

Frostnip – is a cooling of the body’s skin tissues with the skin looking white. Frostnip affects the tips of ears, nose, cheeks, fingers, and toes. Frostnip is painless.
Treatment: use steady firm pressure on the cooled area with a warm body part. Do not rub.

Frostbite – Frostbite is the freezing of body parts.
Signs & symptoms: The skin tissue is pale, cold, and solid, greyish patches can develop, and person may develop pain and blisters.

Treatment:

1. Be very careful with injury, as it is fragile.
2. DO NOT begin thawing if refreezing is a possibility.
3. Thaw rapidly by covering with clothes and blankets or immerse frozen part in warm water. Do not allow frozen part to touch the bottom or sides of the container.

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Bug Bites and Stings:

Ants, bed bugs, and mosquitoes – Signs & symptoms: redness and swelling around affected areas. Small welts appear.
Treatment: Wash with soap and cool water. Apply topical anaesthetics. If there’s swelling, cover with cold wet cloth.

Bees, hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets – Signs/symptoms: pain, redness, swelling, burning and itching.
Treatment: Wash with soap and cold water. Apply ice pack to the area (do not put ice directly on skin).

To remove a stinger:

1. Use the edge of a credit card or something similar and scrape it across the area where the stinger is until it comes out.
2. If using tweezers be careful not to inject more venom from the stinger into the person. Once the stinger is removed wash the area with soap and water. Cold compresses will lessen pain and reduce swelling.

Insect bites can result in an allergic reaction. Reaction to an insect bite or sting may be rapid, or take some time.

Some allergic reaction Signs & symptoms: swelling around the affected area as well as swelling of the face, tongue, or throat; itching palms of hands and soles of feet; breathing difficulty faintness; hives. If a person has these signs, call EMS immediately.

People with a history of severe allergic reaction to stings and bites may carry a personal First Aid Kit that helps them with stings.

1. Keep affected area below heart.
2. If sting is on arm or leg, apply a constricting band above the sting site tight enough to stop blood flow through veins, but pulse below band should be present.
3. Remove stinger.
4. Help administer contents of their personal First Aid Kit.

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Animal Bites/Snake Bites:

Animal bites carry a high risk of infection. Signs& symptoms: redness, heat, swelling, pus around the wound site, red streaks in the skin around the wound and possible swollen glands closest to the wound.

Treatment: Wash the wound well with soap and water, and then cover the wound if the person is bleeding. Notify the police if the person was bitten by unknown animals. The animal needs to be captured and tested for rabies.

Signs/symptoms: of Snake bites include: swelling, discoloration, pain, rapid pulse, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, headache, pinpoint pupils, slurred speech, shock, seizures, and unresponsiveness. NEVER provide alcohol, sedatives, aspirin, or apply any form of cold therapy, including ice or sprays. Keep the extremity lower than the heart and wrap band 2-4′ above fang marks. The band should be tight enough to stop blood flow through veins, but a pulse below the band should be present.

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Fever:

Fever is not always a cause for alarm, but can be a sign of infection.
Have the person wear lightweight clothing, drink plenty of fluids (like 7-up), and give non-aspirin fever reducing medication. Sponge bathe person with tepid (not cold) water. Do not cover person with blankets even if they state that they feel cold.
The following are guidelines as to when you should call a doctor for fever:

1. When a child is less than 3 months old.
2. When a child is less than 2 years old with a temperature of 101 °F for more than 24 hours.
3. When a temperature reaches 104 °F or higher in any person.
4. When a fever is accompanied by a seizure.

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Dental Injuries:

Knocked out Tooth: Find the tooth, handle it by the crown, not the root portion. You may rinse the tooth but do not clean or handle it unnecessarily. Inspect it for fractures. If the tooth is sound and the person is conscious and can follow instructions, try to reinsert the tooth. Get the person to hold it in place by biting on a piece of gauze. If you can’t reinsert it or the tooth is fractured, transport it by placing it in a cup of milk. They should see a dentist immediately. Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.

Broken Tooth: Rinse the dirt from the injured area with warm water. Place cold compresses over the face in the area of the injury. Locate and save any broken tooth fragments. Immediate dental attention is necessary.

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