First Aid

Learn first aids skills online | British Red Cross

Want to learn the key skills to use in an emergency? Our up-to-date advice is simple to learn and easy to remember.

Adult / Baby and Child First Aid:

  • choking
  • bleeding heavily
  • unresponsive and breathing
  • epileptic seizure
  • asthma attack
  • broken bones
  • head injury
  • nosebleed
  • meningitis
  • fever
  • Source: redcross.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Get First Aid Advice | St John Ambulance

First aid topics

Bleeding, bone and muscles, breathing difficulties, choking, diabetic emergencies, effects of heat and cold, head injuries, heart, injuries and minor conditions, meningitis, paediatric first aid, poisoning, seizures, sepsis, severe allergic reaction, stroke

How to…

How to do CPR on an adult
How to make an arm sling
How to do CPR on a child
How to do CPR on a baby
How to apply a dressing
How to put on a bandage

  • Source: sja.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Videos

We have selected a range of videos to help deal with everyday First Aid Emergencies

Videos

  • Adult CPR
  • Child CPR
  • Infant CPR
  • Adult/Child Choking
  • Infant Choking
  • Epilepsy
  • Stroke
  • Asthma
  • Heart Attack
  • Recovery Position
  • Source: firstaid.ie
  • Pharmacy Resource: Videos
  • Register to Access Content: No

First Aid – NHS

First aid | After an incident | CPR | Recovery position

  • Source: nhs.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Information for health professionals – Resuscitation Council (UK)

The Resuscitation Council (UK) exists to promote high-quality, scientific, resuscitation guidelines that are applicable to everybody, and to contribute to saving life through education, training, research and collaboration.

  • Source: resus.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Anaphylaxis and Severe Allergic Reaction

Anaphylaxis is a life threatening severe allergic reaction. It is a medical emergency, and requires immediate treatment.

A severe allergic reaction can cause an anaphylactic shock and must be treated with an adrenaline pen.

  • Source: allergyuk.org
  • Pharmacy Resource: Factsheet
  • Register to Access Content: No

Symptoms of stroke| Stroke Association

The FAST test helps to spot the three most common symptoms of stroke. But there are other signs that you should always take seriously.

  • Source: stroke.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Stroke

A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.

Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential.

  • Source: nhs.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Heart attack

A heart attack happens when a blockage in your coronary artery causes part of your heart muscle to be starved of blood and oxygen. Most heart attacks occur when a blood clot forms inside the artery after a fatty deposit (called atheroma) has broken off from the artery wall.

A heart attack is a medical emergency and can be life threatening. If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 999 for an ambulance immediately.

  • Source: bhf.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Video
  • Register to Access Content: No

What to do in an asthma attack

Follow this emergency advice if you’re having an asthma attack.

  • Source: asthma.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Guidelines
  • Register to Access Content: No

First aid for epileptic seizures

On this page, find out what to do if you see someone having a tonic-clonic or focal seizure. We explain how you can help, and when you should call for an ambulance.

  • Source: epilepsy.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Poster
  • Register to Access Content: No

Take epilepsy action video – First aid for seizures

Take epilepsy action is a campaign to raise awareness among the general public of different kinds of seizures and appropriate first aid.

  • Source: epilepsy.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Video
  • Register to Access Content: No

First aid for seizures

Knowing how to help someone during and after a seizure may help you to feel more confident if a seizure happens. How you can best help someone depends on the type of seizure they have, and what happens to them.

  • Source: epilepsysociety.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Having a hypo

How to treat a hypo

Treat the hypo immediately. You can do this by eating or drinking 15 to 20g of a fast-acting carbohydrate.

  • Source: diabetes.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Guide
  • Register to Access Content: No

Adrenal Crisis Can Kill

Each year, typically 8% of people with Addison’s Disease experience adrenal crisis. This means they need extra steroid medication immediately, in the form of an emergency injection of intra-muscular hydrocortisone. This is a medical emergency and must be treated immediately. Follow the instructions below – foreign language translations are also available.

  • Source: addisonsdisease.org.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Various
  • Register to Access Content: No

Meningitis signs and symptoms video

What is meningitis? What are the main signs and symptoms? And what should you do if you suspect someone has meningitis? Find out in this short video.

  • Source: meningitisnow.org
  • Pharmacy Resource: Video
  • Register to Access Content: No

Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours – know the symptoms

A3 poster to help identify the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia in all age groups.

  • Source: meningitis.org
  • Pharmacy Resource: Poster
  • Register to Access Content: No

Burns and Scalds

Following a burn or scald, make sure you and the affected person are safe from further burns or danger – then cool a burnt or scalded area immediately with water (preferably running cool water – not cold) for at least 20 minutes. This leaflet also gives further advice.

  • Source: patient.info
  • Pharmacy Resource: Leaflet
  • Register to Access Content: No

Sprains and Strains

Following a sprain or strain the usual advice is to pay the PRICE (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) and avoid HARM (Heat, Alcohol, Running, and Massage) for the first 48-72 hours after injury. Most sprains and strains heal within a few weeks.

  • Source: patient.info
  • Pharmacy Resource: Leaflet
  • Register to Access Content: No

Insect Stings and Bites

If you are stung by a bee and the stinger remains in the skin, scrape out the stinger as quickly as possible. Do not pluck it out as this may squeeze more venom into the skin.

  • Source: patient.info
  • Pharmacy Resource: Leaflet
  • Register to Access Content: No

Nosebleeds (Epistaxis)

Having a nosebleed (epistaxis) is common in children. Nosebleeds are usually mild and easily treated. Sometimes bleeding can be more severe. This is usually in older people, or in people with other medical problems such as blood disorders. Get medical help quickly if the bleeding is severe, or if it does not stop within 20-30 minutes.

  • Source: patient.info
  • Pharmacy Resource: Leaflet
  • Register to Access Content: No

Emergencies and First Aid – Removing a Speck From the Eye

  • Source: health.harvard.edu
  • Pharmacy Resource: Instructions
  • Register to Access Content: No

Emergencies and First Aid – Bleeding

Butterfly Bandages
Direct Pressure for Bleeding and Pressure Points for Bleeding
How to Stop a Nosebleed

  • Source: health.harvard.edu
  • Pharmacy Resource: Instructions
  • Register to Access Content: No

Emergencies and First Aid – Broken Bones

How to Make a Sling
How to Splint a Fracture

  • Source: health.harvard.edu
  • Pharmacy Resource: Instructions
  • Register to Access Content: No

Emergencies and First Aid – Choking

Heimlich Maneuver on an Adult
Heimlich Maneuver on a Child
Heimlich Maneuver on an Infant

  • Source: health.harvard.edu
  • Pharmacy Resource: Instructions
  • Register to Access Content: No

Emergency multilingual phrasebook

The Emergency Multilingual phrasebook, produced and updated by the British Red Cross Society with advice and funding from the Department of Health and endorsed by the British Association for Emergency Medicine (BAEM) is translated into 36 languages. It covers the most common medical questions and terms to help first contact staff communicate with patients who do not speak English and make an initial assessment while an interpreter is contacted

  • Source: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk
  • Pharmacy Resource: Phrasebook
  • Register to Access Content: No

 

Pharmacy Resources Last Checked: 27/09/2021

Get hand-picked pharmacy news straight to your inbox

SIGN UP