Basic First Aid for Common Injuries

Blisters

Blisters usually form when friction, heat, moisture, and pressure repeatedly irritate the skin. The best treatment is early prevention.

• Stop when a hot spot first appears. Dry the skin, smooth the sock, adjust footwear, and protect the area with moleskin, tape, or a blister pad.
• If a blister is intact, leave the skin in place when possible. Protect it with a doughnut-shaped pad so pressure falls around rather than directly on the blister.
• If a blister opens, wash it with clean water and mild soap, leave attached skin in place, cover it with a clean dressing, and watch for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, or fever.
• Large, very painful, bloody, or infected-looking blisters should be evaluated by an adult leader or health care professional.

Nosebleeds

• Have the person sit upright and lean slightly forward.
• Pinch the soft part of the nose just below the bony bridge and hold steady pressure for about 10 to 15 minutes without repeatedly checking.
• Have the person breathe through the mouth and spit out blood that reaches the mouth rather than swallowing it.
• Seek medical help for bleeding that is severe, follows a significant injury, causes weakness or breathing trouble, or does not stop after repeated firm pressure.

Minor cuts and scrapes

• Wash or sanitize your hands and use gloves when available.
• Control minor bleeding with direct pressure.
• Rinse the wound with clean running water or sterile saline until dirt and debris are removed.
• Cover the clean wound with an appropriate dressing. Replace the dressing when wet or dirty.
• Seek medical care for deep wounds, embedded objects, animal or human bites, wounds that will not stop bleeding, or signs of infection.

Something in the eye

• A loose eyelash, dust, or grit can often be removed by normal tearing and gentle irrigation. Do not rub the eye.
• Have the person blink several times. If needed, gently rinse the eye with clean water or sterile eyewash.
• Do not try to remove an object that is embedded in the eye. Do not press on the eye.
• For a chemical exposure, begin flushing immediately with large amounts of clean water and continue for at least 15 minutes unless chemical-specific guidance says otherwise. Get medical or poison-control guidance.
• Get prompt medical care for severe pain, vision changes, chemical exposure, an embedded object, or an injury directly to the eyeball.

Fishhook injuries

A fishhook can have a barb that makes removal difficult. Do not attempt field removal when the hook is in or near the eye, face, neck, major blood vessel, joint, tendon, or other sensitive structure. Stabilize the hook and obtain medical care. For a simple shallow hook injury, an adult with appropriate training may use an accepted removal technique, then clean and dress the wound and consider tetanus status.