First Aid & Basic Life Support Flashcards

A crew member on a prescribed burn is confused, has hot skin, and has stopped making sense after hours of line work in high heat. What is the most important immediate action?

Answer: Begin rapid cooling, such as cold-water immersion or dousing, and call for EMS

Altered mental status with heat exposure suggests heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency that requires aggressive cooling and EMS activation.

What compression rate does current AHA guidance recommend for adult CPR?

Answer: 100 to 120 per minute

AHA guidelines call for adult chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute.

Using the adult Rule of Nines, approximately what percentage of body surface area is one entire leg?

Answer: 18%

Each adult leg (front and back) represents about 18% of total body surface area.

A firefighter reports dark, cola-colored urine and severe muscle pain the day after an extremely strenuous shift. What condition should be suspected?

Answer: Exertional rhabdomyolysis

Cola-colored urine with muscle pain after heavy exertion is a classic warning sign of rhabdomyolysis, which requires medical evaluation.

Where should a commercial tourniquet be placed on an arm with life-threatening bleeding?

Answer: 2 to 3 inches above the wound, not over a joint

A tourniquet goes 2 to 3 inches proximal to the wound and should avoid joints for effective compression.

Which finding most strongly suggests a smoke-exposed patient may have an airway burn?

Answer: Soot around the mouth, singed nasal hair, and a hoarse voice

Soot in the airway, singed facial hair, and hoarseness indicate possible inhalation injury that can rapidly cause airway swelling.

When checking an unresponsive adult for breathing and a pulse, what is the maximum time a rescuer should spend before starting CPR?

Answer: 10 seconds

AHA guidance limits the breathing and pulse check to no more than 10 seconds to avoid delaying compressions.