First Aid and Food-Related Illnesses
What this domain tests
This domain tests immediate, safe first aid for choking, burns, cuts, food poisoning and allergic reactions. Answers must be sequenced and must avoid harmful traditional remedies.
Core rules and concepts
- Food poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, often within hours. Prevent dehydration with oral rehydration solution (ORS) and safe water. Seek medical care for blood in stool, high fever, severe dehydration, persistent vomiting or symptoms in a young child, pregnant woman or older person.
- Do not induce vomiting after suspected food poisoning unless advised by a health professional. Keep suspected food or packaging if it can be safely retained for investigation.
- Choking: if the person can cough, encourage coughing. If the airway is blocked, give up to 5 back blows, then up to 5 abdominal thrusts in an adult or child over 1 year. For an infant under 1 year, use 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts, not abdominal thrusts.
- Burns: cool with clean running water for about 20 minutes; remove jewellery and loose clothing near the burn; cover with a clean non-stick dressing. Do not apply butter, oil, toothpaste or ice.
- Severe allergy: call emergency help; use an adrenaline auto-injector if prescribed and available; keep the person lying down and monitor breathing.
Worked example
A student develops vomiting and diarrhoea six hours after eating street food. Outline first aid. Reasoning: the main immediate danger is dehydration. Give small, frequent sips of ORS; continue breastfeeding a child; avoid oily or sugary drinks; monitor urine, thirst and alertness. Do not give anti-diarrhoeal medicine to a child without advice. Seek care if there is blood, severe weakness, sunken eyes or no urine. The reasoning is to replace water and salts while arranging assessment, not simply to stop the diarrhoea.
Traps that cost marks
- Do not give food or drink to an unconscious person.
- Do not put butter, oil or ice on a burn.
- Abdominal thrusts are not used on infants under 1 year.
- Vomiting is not the treatment for poisoning; it can cause harm.
- ORS is not a cure for infection; it prevents dehydration while the cause is assessed.