First Aid Emergencies: In the Community

This straightforward program offers a refresher overview of basic first aid, centering on medical issues that one might come across in the community (often in outdoor settings): broken bones, bloody wounds, strains, head or spinal injuries, unconsciousness, hypothermia, heatstroke, and heart attacks (other topics, such as insect bites or contact rashes from something like poison ivy are not covered). A narrator issues the same important but obvious advice repeatedly (stay calm, apply first aid, and seek medical attention), while practitioners and actors portraying “victims” demonstrate recommended procedures. Acronyms such as “RICER” for strains (rest, ice, compression, elevation, and referral or help) are intended to be helpful mnemonics but sometimes seem cumbersome: rather than try to remember what “DRS ABCD” stands for in the event of a suspected heart attack (Danger, Response, Send for Help; Airways, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation), it's probably easier to remember that one should start administering CPR while waiting for the ambulance. This otherwise well-intentioned and informative primer is recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner)