SURVIVAL FIELD GUIDES
First Aid

This first aid guide is taken directly from the Department of the Army's Field Manual titled, "First Aid for Soldiers". Although it contains references to soldiers in the field, the information contained herein is relevant to outdoor enthusiasts as well.

Table of contents

1. Preface

2. CHAPTER 1. Fundamental Criteria for First Aid
   

   Section I. EVALUATE CASUALTY

   1. 1-1. CASUALTY EVALUATION (081-831-1000)
      
   2. 1-2. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (081-831-1000)
      

   Section II. UNDERSTAND VITAL BODY FUNCTIONS

   1. 1-3. RESPIRATION AND BLOOD CIRCULATION
      
   2. 1-4. ADVERSE CONDITIONS
      

3. CHAPTER 2. Basic Measures for First Aid
   

   Section I. OPEN THE AIRWAY AND RESTORE BREATHING

   1. 2-1. BREATHING PROCESS
      
   2. 2-2. ASSESSMENT (EVALUATION) PHASE (081-831-1000 AND 081-831-1042)
      
   3. 2-3. OPENING THE AIRWAY--UNCONSCIOUS AND NOT BREATHING CASUALTY (081-831-1042)
      
   4. 2-4. RESCUE BREATHING (ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION)
      
   5. 2-5. PRELIMINARY STEPS--ALL RESCUE BREATHING METHODS (081-831-1042)
      
   6. 2-6. MOUTH-TO-MOUTH METHOD (081-831-1042)
      
   7. 2-7. MOUTH-TO-NOSE METHOD
      
   8. 2-8. HEARTBEAT
      
   9. 2-12. AIRWAY OBSTRUCTIONS
      
   10. 2-13. OPENING THE OBSTRUCTED AIRWAY--CONSCIOUS CASUALTY (081-831-1003)
       
   11. 2-14. OPEN AN OBSTRUCTED AIRWAY--CASUALTY LYING OR UNCONSCIOUS (081-831-1042)
       

   Section II. STOP THE BLEEDING AND PROTECT THE WOUND

   1. 2-15. CLOTHING (081-831-1016)
      
   2. 2-16. ENTRANCE AND EXIT WOUNDS
      
   3. 2-17. FIELD DRESSING (081-831-1016)
      
   4. 2-18. MANUAL PRESSURE (081-831-1016)
      
   5. 2-19. PRESSURE DRESSING (081-831-1016)
      
   6. 2-20. TOURNIQUET (081-831-1017)
      

   Section III. CHECK AND TREAT FOR SHOCK

   1. 2-21. CAUSES AND EFFECTS
      
   2. 2-22. SIGNS/SYMPTOMS (081-831-1000)
      
   3. 2-23. TREATMENT/PREVENTION (081-831-1005)
      

4. CHAPTER 3. First Aid for Special Wounds
   

   Section I. GIVE PROPER FIRST AID FOR HEAD INJURIES

   1. 3-1. HEAD INJURIES
      
   2. 3-2. SIGNS/SYMPTOMS (081-831-1000)
      
   3. 3-3. GENERAL FIRST AID MEASURES (081-831-1000)
      
   4. 3-4. DRESSINGS AND BANDAGES
      

   Section II. GIVE PROPER FIRST AID FOR FACE AND NECK INJURIES

   1. 3-5. FACE INJURIES
      
   2. 3-6. NECK INJURIES
      
   3. 3-7. PROCEDURE
      
   4. 3-8. DRESSINGS AND BANDAGES (081-831-1033)
      

   Section III. GIVE PROPER FIRST AID FOR CHEST AND ABDOMINAL WOUNDS AND BURN INJURIES

   1. 3-9. CHEST WOUNDS (081-831-1026)
      
   2. 3-10. CHEST WOUND(S) PROCEDURE (081-831-1026)
      
   3. 3-11. ABDOMINAL WOUNDS
      
   4. 3-12. ABDOMINAL WOUND(S) PROCEDURE (081-831-1025)
      
   5. 3-13. BURN INJURIES
      
   6. 3-14. FIRST AID FOR BURNS (031-31-1007)
      

   Section IV. APPLY PROPER BANDAGES TO UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES

   1. 3-15. SHOULDER BANDAGE
      
   2. 3-16. ELBOW BANDAGE
      
   3. 3-17. HAND BANDAGE
      
   4. 3-18. LEG (UPPER AND LOWER) BANDAGE
      
   5. 3-19. KNEE BANDAGE
      
   6. 3-20. FOOT BANDAGE
      

5. CHAPTER 4. First Aid for Fractures
   

   1. 4-1. KINDS OF FRACTURES
      
   2. 4-2. SIGNS/SYMPTOMS OF FRACTURES (081-831-1000)
      
   3. 4-3. PURPOSES OF IMMOBILIZING FRACTURES
      
   4. 4-4. SPLINTS, PADDING, BANDAGES, SLINGS, AND SWATHES (081-831-1034)
      
   5. 4-5. PROCEDURES FOR SPLINTING SUSPECTED FRACTURES (081-831-1034)
      
   6. 4-6. UPPER EXTREMITY FRACTURES (081-831-1034)
      
   7. 4-7. LOWER EXTREMITY FRACTURES (081-831-1034)
      
   8. 4-8. JAW, COLLARBONE, AND SHOULDER FRACTURES
      
   9. 4-9. SPINAL COLUMN FRACTURES (081-831-1000)
      
   10. 4-10. NECK FRACTURES (081-831-1000)
       

6. CHAPTER 5. First Aid for Climatic Injury
   

   1. 5-1. HEAT INJURIES
      
   2. 5-2. COLD INJURIES
      

7. CHAPTER 6. First Aid for Bites and Stings
   

   1. 6-1. TYPES OF SNAKES
      
   2. 6-2. SNAKEBITES
      
   3. 6-3. HUMAN AND OTHER ANIMAL BITES
      
   4. 6-4. MARINE (SEA) ANIMALS
      
   5. 6-5. INSECT BITES/STINGS
      
   6. 6-6. TABLE
      

8. CHAPTER 7. First Aid in Toxic Environments

   Section I. INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION AND FIRST AID EQUIPMENT FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES

   1. 7-1. TOXIC SUBSTANCES
      
   2. 7-2. PROTECTIVE AND FIRST AID EQUIPMENT
      

   Section II. CHEMICAL-BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

   1. 7-3. CLASSIFICATION
      
   2. 7-4. CONDITIONS FOR MASKING WITHOUT ORDER OR ALARM
      
   3. 7-5. FIRST AID FOR A CHEMICAL ATTACK (081-831-1030 AND 081-831-1031)
      

   Section III. NERVE AGENTS

   1. 7-6. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
      
   2. 7-7. SIGNS/SYMPTOMS OF NERVE AGENT POISONING (081-831-1030 AND 081-831-1031)
      
   3. 7-8. FIRST AID FOR NERVE AGENT POISONING (081-831-1030)
      

   Section IV. OTHER AGENTS

   1. 7-9. BLISTER AGENTS
      
   2. 7-10. CHOKING AGENTS (LUNG-DAMAGING AGENTS)
      
   3. 7-11. BLOOD AGENTS
      
   4. 7-12. INCAPACITATING AGENTS
      
   5. 7-13. INCENDIARIES
      
   6. 7-14. FIRST AID FOR BIOLOGICAL AGENTS
      
   7. 7-15. TOXINS
      
   8. 7-16. RADIOLOGICAL
      

9. CHAPTER 8. First Aid for Psychological Reactions
   

   1. 8-1. EXPLANATION OF TERM "PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID"
      
   2. 8-2. IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
      
   3. 8-3. SITUATIONS REQUIRING PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
      
   4. 8-4. INTERRELATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL FIRST AID
      
   5. 8-5. GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
      
   6. 8-6. RESPECT FOR OTHERS' FEELINGS
      
   7. 8-7. EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITY
      
   8. 8-8. EMOTIONAL REACTION TO INJURY
      
   9. 8-9. EMOTIONAL RESERVE STRENGTH OF DISTRESSED SOLDIERS
      
   10. 8-1O. BATTLE FATIGUE (AND OTHER COMBAT STRESS REACTIONS [CSR])
       
   11. 8-11. REACTIONS TO STRESS
       
   12. 8-12. SEVERE STRESS OR BATTLE FATIGUE REACTIONS
       
   13. 8-13. APPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
       
   14. 8-14. REACTIONS AND LIMITATIONS
       
   15. 8-15. TABLES
       

10. APPENDIX A. First Aid Case and Kits, Dressings, and Bandages
    

    1. A-1. FIRST AID CASE WITH FIELD DRESSINGS AND BANDAGES
       
    2. A-2. GENERAL PURPOSE FIRST AID KITS
       
    3. A-3. CONTENTS OF FIRST AID CASE AND KITS
       
    4. A-4. DRESSINGS
       
    5. A-5. STANDARD BANDAGES
       
    6. A-6. TRIANGULAR AND CRAVAT (SWATHE) BANDAGES
       

11. APPENDIX B. Rescue and Transportation Procedures
    

    1. B-1. GENERAL
       
    2. B-2. PRINCIPLES OF RESCUE OPERATIONS
       
    3. B-3. TASK (RESCUE) IDENTIFICATION
       
    4. B-4. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE RESCUE
       
    5. B-5. PLAN OF ACTION
       
    6. B-6. MASS CASUALTIES
       
    7. B-7. PROPER HANDLING OF CASUALTIES
       
    8. B-8. TRANSPORTATION OF CASUALTIES
       
    9. B-9. MANUAL CARRIES (081-831-1040 AND 081-831-1041)
       
    10. B-10. IMPROVISED LITTERS (FIGURES B-15, B-16, AND B-17) (081-831-1041)
        

12. APPENDIX C. Common Problems/Conditions
    

    Section I. HEALTH MAINTENANCE

    1. C-1. GENERAL
       
    2. C-2. PERSONAL HYGIENE
       
    3. C-3. DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY
       
    4. C-4. DENTAL HYGIENE
       
    5. C-5. DRUG (SUBSTANCE) ABUSE
       
    6. C-6. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
       

    Section II. FIRST AID FOR COMMON PROBLEMS

    1. C-7. HEAT RASH (OR PRICKLY HEAT)
       
    2. C-8. CONTACT POISONING (SKIN RASHES)
       
    3. C-9. CARE OF THE FEET
       
    4. C-10. BLISTERS
       

13. APPENDIX E. Digital Pressure
    

14. APPENDIX F. Decontamination Procedures
    

    1. F-1. PROTECTIVE MEASURES AND HANDLING OF CASUALTIES
       
    2. F-2. PERSONAL DECONTAMINATION
       
    3. F-3. CASUALTY DECONTAMINATION
       

15. GLOSSARY
    

Credits: FM 21-11, First Aid for Soldiers, Department of the Army