Heartsaver First Aid – GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. One of your co-workers has a serious injury. She has lost a lot of blood. You approach her and offer to help, but she refuses to let anyone touch her. She answers your questions and does not appear to be confused. What should you do?
a. tell the victim that you must give first aid and begin to apply pressure to her wound
b. tell the victim that she should phone 911 and get proper care for her wound
c. phone your company's emergency response number (or 911) and stay with the victim until EMS rescuers arrive
d. tell another co-worker to hold pressure on her wound while you phone your company's emergency response number (or 911)
2. You are asked to help when some of your co-workers are injured in a truck crash in front of your workplace. What is the first thing you should do as you approach the scene?
a. tell the victims to move off the street
b. ask any bystanders to help you move the victims inside the building
c. tell the victims to be still to avoid making their injuries worse
d. look around and make sure the area is safe for you and the victims
3. After you give first aid in the workplace, what should you do with anything that might have touched the victim's blood, saliva, or urine?
a. wrap the items in a sealed plastic bag and throw the bag away in the trash
b. place the items in a biohazard waste bag, seal it, and follow your company's plan for disposing of hazardous waste
c. save the items and give them to EMS rescuers for transport with the victim to the hospital, where medical personnel can check them
d. do not touch the items (even with gloves) and do not dispose of them. Only persons who are trained in disposal of hazardous waste materials can dispose of these items
4. You are asked to help a co-worker. As you approach the area, you see the victim lying face down on the floor. You make sure the area is safe. Now what should you do for this victim?
a. quickly roll the victim over and begin CPR
b. check to see if the victim is responsive by gently shaking him and shouting "Are you OK?"
c. find out if the victim has any allergies or is taking any medications
d. move the victim to a comfortable place and keep him warm
5. As you walk to your car after work, you see a co-worker slump against a car and then slide to the ground. You run to help and find that the victim is unresponsive. You lay her on her back. You ask a passerby to phone 911. After you open the victim's airway, what should you do next?
a. look into the victim's mouth to see if anything is blocking the airway, and then you wipe out the victim's mouth with your finger
b. give several abdominal thrusts, then place your ear over the victim's chest and feel for chest movement
c. gently shake the victim and look for a response
d. place your ear next to the victim's mouth and nose. look to see if the chest is moving, and listen and feel for breaths
6. One day after giving first aid to a co-worker, you find out that the man died. You feel guilty and blame yourself. What should you do about your feelings?
a. you should discuss your feelings with a counselor. doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider
b. you should talk with several of your co-workers, give them details about your co-worker's problem and explain what you did to help in this emergency
c. ignore your feelings and don't talk about them because it is best not to think about these things
d. if you think that you may not have done the right thing to help this person, you should tell a supervisor that you do not want to give first aid in the future
END OF SECTION ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES
AHA Heartsaver First Aid Exam
General Principles
SECTION ON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
1. A co-worker is eating a sandwich and suddenly grabs his neck. He is unable to make sounds, cough, speak, or breathe. What should you do?
a. leave him alone and try to get him to cough vigorously
b. tell him you are going to help and do abdominal thrusts
c. look in his mouth and use your finger to try to dislodge the object that is causing him to
choke
d. phone 911 and do nothing until emergency help arrives
2. A woman who is in late pregnancy suddenly stops eating and grabs her neck with her hands. She is unable to breathe, talk, or cough. What should you do for her?
a. tell her you are going to help and give her several abdominal thrusts
b. phone 911 and don't do anything until EMS rescuers arrive
c. look in her mouth and use your finger to try to dislodge whatever is causing her to choke
d. tell her you can help and give her chest thrusts
3. Your co-worker is having trouble breathing. He tells you that he has asthma and has medicine in his locker. He can't catch his breath. You hear a whistle sound when he tries to breathe. What should you do?
a. tell him you are going to help him and give abdominal thrusts
b. try to get him to relax and encourage him to cough
c. get the medicine for him and then stay with him
d. leave him to phone 911 or your company's emergency response number because you can't do anything to help him
4. You think that your co-worker might be having an allergic reaction. Which of the following are signs of a bad allergic reaction (different from a mild allergic reaction)?
a. stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes
b. itchy skin
c. swelling of the tongue and face and trouble breathing
d. a raised, red skin rash
5. A co-worker is having a bad allergic reaction. She asks you for help and tells you that she has an epinephrine pen with her. What should you do about the epinephrine pen?
a. wait until EMS rescuers arrive and tell them about the pen so that they can use it
b. help her use the pen if you are trained and approved to do so
c. do not let her use the pen unless EMS rescuers say it is OK
d. wait until she becomes unresponsive, then use the pen if you are trained to do so
6. Your supervisor complains that she is suddenly nauseated, weak, and lightheaded. She is awake but looks pale and is sweaty. What should you look for to see if she might be having a heart attack?
a. an uncomfortable feeling of pressure or pain in the chest or upper body, arms, jaw, back, neck, or stomach
b. inability to cough or speak
c. noisy breathing
d. numbness or weakness on one side of the body, trouble speaking, severe headache, and facial droop
7. You think that your supervisor is having a heart attack. He is awake and you are the only person with him. What should you do right away?
a. start CPR immediately
b. tell him to try to walk around to see if the pain goes away
c. tell him to sit quietly, phone 911 immediately, get an AED if one is available, and get a First Aid Kit
d. tell him to move to a cool area, to loosen his clothing, and to rest for 30 minutes
8. A worker in your office stands up suddenly after kneeling for several minutes to file papers. She tells you she feels dizzy. Then she leans against her desk. She is awake but says she feels very dizzy. What should you do?
a. tell her to drive home and rest
b. tell her to lie flat on the floor and raise her legs about 12 inches off the floor
c. tell her to take a brisk walk outside and get a breath of fresh air
d. have her sit in a chair and wipe her face with a cool, wet cloth for several minutes
9. You think that a co-worker may be having a stroke. What are signs of a possible stroke?
a. pain or pressure in the chest or upper body, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness b. dizziness and throbbing pain in the arms and legs
c. coldness and tingling sensations in the fingers and toes
d. sudden facial droop, weakness on one side of the body, and trouble speaking
SECTION ON INJURY EMERGENCIES
1. A co-worker cuts her leg on the corner of a metal shelf. The cut is large and is bleeding a lot. The victim asks you to help. The area is safe. Another worker is getting the First Aid Kit and phoning 911. What should you tell the victim while you wait for the First Aid Kit?
a. tell her there is nothing you can do until the First Aid Kit arrives
b. tell her to press on the leg wound with a clean cloth to stop the bleeding
c. tell her she is probably in shock, and cover her with a blanket and raise her legs about 12 inches off the floor
d. tell her to let the cut bleed because it will not hurt anything
2. A co-worker is using a razor knife to open a box and cuts her arm by mistake. The cut is large, and a lot of blood is gushing from it. The victim asks you to help. A co-worker phones the company emergency response number and brings the First Aid Kit. You stop the bleeding with pressure. The victim is lying down. She says that she is feeling weak and dizzy, and she is shivering. What should you do?
a. cover her with a blanket and raise her feet about 12 inches off the floor
b. do not do anything more until EMS rescuers arrive
c. put more pressure on the bleeding from the arm
d. take off the dressing on the cut on her arm
3. Your co-worker is using a saw and cuts his hand by mistake. He turns the saw off and runs to you for help. The cut is bleeding a lot. You get the First Aid Kit and ask the victim to apply pressure to the cut while you put on personal protective equipment. What should you do now to control the bleeding?
a. put a dressing on the wound and apply pressure
b. be sure that the victim is comfortable and warm
c. have the victim lie flat and raise the victim's legs
d. tightly squeeze the area around the wound to cut off circulation
4. A metal fitting bursts, causing a large piece of metal to strike a worker. The metal is sticking out of his arm. The victim asks for your help. You get the First Aid Kit and put on personal protective equipment. What should you do about the piece of metal stuck in the victim's arm?
a. gently remove it and control the bleeding
b. gently remove it and look for signs of shock
c. don't remove it; control the bleeding and look for signs of shock
d. don't remove it until the victim becomes unresponsive; then you can take it out
5. An office worker has a bad nosebleed and asks you to help her. After you put on your personal protective equipment, what should you do to help her?
a. have her sit and lean her head back; do not touch the nose for a few minutes
b. place an ice bag on her nose or forehead
c. have her sit and lean forward while you pinch her nostrils for a few minutes
d. have her lie down, raise her legs, and put an ice bag on her nose
A worker is arranging pipes on a rack in the storeroom. Several pipes roll back and strike him in the stomach. He sits on the floor holding his stomach and crying out in pain. The area is safe and there is no wound that you can see. You ask him to lie on his back. A bystander phones 911 and gets the First Aid Kit. The victim is now shivering and says that he is dizzy and feels "funny." What should you do now?
a. cover him with a blanket and raise his feet about 12 inches off the floor if it does not hurt him
b. tell him you think he is having a heart attack and be ready to start CPR
c. press firmly on his stomach
d. move the victim to a cool, comfortable place and tell him to rest
7. You are asked to help someone injured at an outdoor park next door to your office. Which of the following might make you think that the victim has a spine injury?
a. the victim has trouble breathing and has swelling of the tongue or face
b. the victim has a lot of bleeding that you can see
c. the victim has a large cut on his arm
d. the victim has received a forceful blow to the head
8. A co-worker slips on a wet floor in the cafeteria and twists his ankle. He asks for your help. You make sure the area is safe, and you find that the man's ankle is swollen and discolored. You shout for help, and someone brings you a First Aid Kit. You put on personal protective equipment. What should you do for his ankle injury?
a. place an ice bag over a towel on the ankle and don't try to move the ankle
b. put a heat pack over a towel on the ankle and don't try to move the ankle
c. tell the victim to move the ankle and walk around as much as possible to be sure it isn't broken
d. put a heat pack over a towel on the ankle and have him move the ankle around to maintain blood flow
9. A jet of steam from a pipe causes a burn on a worker's arm. He yells to you for help and tells you that the burn hurts a lot. You see a small red burn on his arm. You put on gloves. What should you do now for his burn?
a. put burn ointment on the burn and cover it with a dressing
b. put antibiotic ointment on the burn and cover it with a dressing
c. hold the victim's arm under cold running water for about 15 to 30 minutes
d. wrap the burn with a tight dressing
SECTION ON CPR
1. You see a co-worker suddenly slump to the floor. You look around and see that the area is safe. How do you check to see if the victim is responsive?