First-aid information was checked against the cited public guidance on October 12, 2026. This is a layperson quick reference, not individualized medical advice or a substitute for hands-on training. Use medicines and medical equipment according to their instructions and the person's care plan.

Your first job is to make the next few minutes safer. Call 911 for life-threatening illness or injury, put the phone on speaker, and follow the dispatcher. Do not wait for a neighborhood volunteer or for someone with a certificate before beginning dispatcher-guided lifesaving care. This chapter is a quick reference; hands-on first-aid, CPR/AED and bleeding-control training belongs in every household's preparation. [M01, M04, M09]

Make the scene safe and assign jobs

Do not enter smoke, traffic, live electrical hazards, unstable structures or suspected contamination to reach someone. Once safe, quickly check responsiveness, normal breathing and severe bleeding. Ask an awake person for permission to help. Use gloves or a barrier if available. [M04, M09]

Give specific jobs: “You call 911 and give our address. You bring the AED and first-aid kit. You meet the responders.” Read back the assignment so nothing is assumed. Keep a clear route to the patient. This household coordination drill is a planning recommendation, not a substitute for the dispatcher's priorities.

Adult collapse and AED

If an adult does not respond and is not breathing normally, or is only gasping, assume cardiac arrest. Do not spend time searching for a pulse. [M01]

1. Call 911 on speaker; send someone for an automated external defibrillator, or AED.

2. Start compressions where the person is if you can do so safely and effectively. A person lying on their back on a firm, flat surface is preferred, but do not delay compressions trying to move them; follow the dispatcher. Place one hand over the other on the center of the chest, over the lower half of the breastbone.

3. Push hard and fast, 100–120 times a minute, at least 2 inches deep for an average adult, allowing the chest to rise fully between compressions. Avoid pressing deeper than 2.4 inches. Keep pauses short.

4. If you are not trained to give breaths, give continuous chest compressions. If trained and able, use the CPR sequence you learned, normally 30 compressions and 2 breaths for an adult.

5. Turn on the AED as soon as it arrives and follow its spoken instructions. Keep everyone clear when it analyzes or shocks; resume compressions when prompted. Continue until professional responders take over, the person shows clear signs of life, you cannot continue, or the scene becomes unsafe. [M01, M02, M04]

Infant and child collapse

Call 911 and follow the dispatcher. If an infant or child is unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin CPR immediately; do not check for a pulse. Send someone for an AED and use it promptly, following its instructions. For infants and children younger than 8, use pediatric pads or an attenuator if available. Do not delay using the available AED while searching for pediatric equipment. Child CPR generally applies from about age one until puberty; use adult CPR from puberty onward. Breaths are especially important in pediatric arrest and drowning. Use the age-appropriate CPR skills you have practiced; if you cannot give breaths, chest compressions are better than no CPR. Have caregivers refresh pediatric CPR using current training: AHA's 2025 infant compression guidance changed from the older two-finger method to a one-hand or two-thumb encircling technique. Keep the current course card with the kit. [M03]

Heart attack and stroke

Suspected heart attack: chest pressure or discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, unusual fatigue, or discomfort in an arm, back, neck or jaw can be warning signs. Call 911 immediately, even if unsure. Have the person stop activity and rest comfortably. Ask the dispatcher about aspirin and prescribed medicines rather than improvising a dose or giving another person's prescription. If the person becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally, begin CPR and use an AED. [M15]

Suspected stroke: new face droop, arm weakness or speech difficulty means call 911 now. Sudden vision trouble, loss of balance or severe unexplained headache can also be warning signs. Record the time symptoms began, or the last time the person was known to be well. Do not wait for symptoms to pass; keep watching breathing and responsiveness. [M18]

Severe bleeding

Call 911. Press firmly and continuously on the bleeding site with gauze or a clean cloth. Use a barrier if possible. Do not repeatedly lift the dressing to inspect the wound. Do not pull out an embedded object; press around it. For life-threatening arm or leg bleeding, use a commercial tourniquet if trained, following its instructions and the dispatcher. Trained responders may pack appropriate wounds. Keep the person from becoming cold or overheated and watch for altered responsiveness or breathing. [M09]

Practice opening your kit with gloves on. A sealed tourniquet that nobody has learned to use is an unfinished preparation.

Adult and child choking

If the person can cough forcefully or speak, encourage coughing and watch closely. If they cannot speak, breathe or cough effectively, send someone to call 911 and help immediately. [M05]

• Lean the person forward and give 5 separate back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

• If the obstruction remains, give 5 abdominal thrusts, inward and upward, with your fist above the navel and below the breastbone.

• Alternate 5 back blows and 5 thrusts until the obstruction clears or the person becomes unresponsive. Use chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts during pregnancy or when you cannot encircle the abdomen.

• If they become unresponsive, lower them safely to a firm surface and start CPR with compressions. Before attempted breaths, remove an object only if you can see it. Never sweep blindly with a finger. [M05, M06]

Device check: start with these established maneuvers. FDA's March 2026 guidance permits considering an anti-choking device as a second option if standard protocols fail; fetching or assembling one must not delay the initial response. Learn the exact device instructions before an emergency and verify FDA authorization rather than relying on “FDA registered” advertising. [M21]

Infant choking

For a responsive infant younger than 1 year who cannot breathe, cry or cough effectively, call 911 on speaker or have someone call. Support the head and neck, hold the infant face down along your forearm with the head lower than the chest, and give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades. Turn the infant face up, still supporting the head lower than the chest, and give 5 chest thrusts. AHA's current method uses the heel of one hand for the chest thrusts. Repeat until the obstruction clears or the infant becomes unresponsive. Never give infant abdominal thrusts. If unresponsive, begin infant CPR and follow the dispatcher; remove only a clearly visible object. Practice this with a qualified instructor. [M03, M22]

Unresponsive but breathing

Call 911 and stay with the person. If breathing is normal and no head, neck or spinal injury is suspected, place them on their side in the recovery position. With suspected spinal injury, leave them as found unless movement is necessary for safety or lifesaving care; follow the dispatcher if the airway is threatened. Keep watching: gasping is not normal breathing, and a change may require CPR. [M19]

Burns and chemical splashes

Heat burns: stop the exposure without endangering yourself. Cool the area promptly with clean, cool running water for 5–20 minutes. Remove nearby jewelry and loose clothing; leave stuck clothing in place. Do not use ice, butter or greasy creams or break blisters. Loosely cover with a clean nonstick dressing. Call 911 for deep/large burns, breathing trouble, or serious burns involving the face, airway, hands, feet, genitals or major joints. Call 911 for chemical or electrical burns. Severe burns can have little pain. Avoid chilling the whole person, especially a child. [M10]

Chemical on skin or eyes: protect yourself from the substance. Remove contaminated clothing; brush dry powder from skin before water flushing if it can be done safely. For skin, flush with plenty of running water for at least 15 minutes, then follow Poison Control instructions. For eyes, start rinsing immediately with plenty of room-temperature water for at least 15–20 minutes. Keep the affected eye lower so runoff does not enter the other eye. Do not delay rinsing to remove contact lenses; remove them if easy. Have someone call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 while rinsing. Severe symptoms or a serious chemical eye injury need emergency care; continue rinsing as directed or until EMS takes over. Never try to neutralize one chemical with another. [M08, M10, M11]

Penetrating eye injuries

Call 911 or obtain immediate emergency eye care for an object embedded in an eye, vision loss or serious eye trauma. Do not remove the object, rub the eye or press a dressing against it. Protect it from further contact without pressure, and follow the dispatcher. [M11, M26]

Broken bones and head injuries

Do not straighten a limb or push protruding bone back inside. Support the injured part in the position found; do not test it by having the person walk. Call 911 for severe injury, deformity, exposed bone, numbness/coldness beyond the injury, or inability to move safely. Splinting and transport require training. [M12]

After a significant head, neck or back injury, ask the person to remain still. Call 911 for confusion, loss of consciousness, seizure, worsening headache, vomiting, weakness, impaired breathing, or blood/fluid from an ear or nose. Do not remove a helmet unless essential for lifesaving care. Watch continuously; a person can worsen after initially seeming well. [M13]

Poisoning

Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately for a suspected exposure. If the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened, call 911 first. Do not induce vomiting or use ipecac. Keep the container or a photograph of its label for the specialist, without exposing yourself. Follow substance-specific instructions about rinsing, fresh air, or anything by mouth. Never enter a contaminated space to attempt a rescue. [M07, M08]

Bites stings and severe allergic reactions

After a bite, control serious bleeding. Wash the wound promptly with soap and running water and obtain medical advice for any bite that breaks skin. For possible rabies exposure, CDC advises immediate washing for 15 minutes and prompt clinical/public-health assessment; do not wait for illness to appear. Clinicians decide whether rabies prevention, tetanus protection or antibiotics are needed. Do not attempt to capture a dangerous animal yourself. [M16, M23]

For a bee sting, remove a visible stinger promptly, wash the area, and use a wrapped cold pack. Trouble breathing, throat/tongue swelling, faintness or rapidly worsening symptoms may indicate anaphylaxis: call 911 and assist with the person's prescribed epinephrine according to its instructions and your training. Do not wait to see whether the reaction resolves. If unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin CPR. [M17, M24]

Sunburn and small wounds

For sunburn, get out of the sun, use a cool bath or cool wet cloths, and drink water if fully alert and able to swallow. Do not break blisters. Seek medical advice for severe burns, dehydration, fever or signs of infection. [M14]

For a small superficial cut, wash your hands, control bleeding, gently clean with soap and water, and cover with a clean dressing. Seek care for deep, dirty or puncture wounds, increasing redness, pus, fever, or uncertain tetanus protection. [M16, M25, M27]

Suspected opioid overdose

Call 911 and use speakerphone for a person who cannot be awakened or has slow, abnormal or absent breathing. If unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin CPR and use an AED; give breaths if trained and able, otherwise give chest compressions. Give naloxone if available according to its package instructions and the dispatcher. Do not interrupt or delay CPR/AED use to fetch or give it. Stay with the person until EMS arrives even if they wake up; the overdose can return. Follow the product instructions and dispatcher about additional doses. [M20]

Medical handoff and household practice

Write down what happened, when symptoms started, what you observed, what care or medication was given and at what time, and any known allergies or relevant prescriptions. Give the note to responders. Keep medical details with the patient or designated caregiver rather than posting them on a neighborhood group chat.

Choose a date to practice three tasks: giving the exact street address and gate/access information to a caller, retrieving the actual first-aid kit, and identifying the nearest verified accessible AED. Record the AED's location and access hours only after checking them with its owner. Install an authoritative first-aid app, test any saved content without internet, and retain paper instructions. Do not pause lifesaving care to scan a QR code. These are recommended household drills; no local AED location or volunteer medical coverage is assumed.

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