Minor injuries: small cuts, grazes, bruises, minor burns and scalds
This domain tests safe, hygienic management of minor injuries and recognition of when a “minor” injury needs referral. The exam expects cleaning, dressing, cooling, and advice, not just sticking on a plaster.
Core rules and concepts
- Hand hygiene and gloves. Wash hands before and after care, wear gloves when contact with blood or body fluids is likely, and cover your own cuts.
- Small cuts: clean with running water or a sterile wipe, dry around the wound, apply a sterile adhesive dressing, and check circulation. Refer if the wound is deep, gaping, dirty, caused by a bite, or bleeding persistently.
- Grazes: remove visible grit by gentle irrigation, pat dry, and cover with a non-adherent dressing if needed. Do not use cotton wool, which leaves fibres.
- Bruises: apply a wrapped cold pack for up to 10–20 minutes, never directly on skin. Seek advice if swelling is severe, pain is intense, or a fracture is possible.
- Minor burns and scalds: cool with cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Remove jewellery and clothing unless stuck to the skin. Cover with cling film lengthwise or a sterile non-adherent dressing. Do not apply ice, butter, creams, or ointments, and do not burst blisters.
- Refer: burns larger than the casualty’s palm, to the face, hands, feet, genitals, or across a joint; electrical or chemical burns; or any burn in a child or vulnerable adult.
Worked example
A catering assistant spills hot water over the back of their hand. The first aider puts on gloves, removes a ring, and holds the hand under cool running water for 20 minutes. They cover the burn with cling film laid lengthwise, not wrapped tightly, and advise the casualty to attend a minor injuries unit because the burn is on the hand. Reasoning: cooling is time-critical, jewellery is removed before swelling, and hand burns are referred even if they look small.
Traps that cost marks
- Cooling a burn for only a minute or two.
- Applying butter, oil, toothpaste, or ice.
- Bursting blisters or peeling stuck clothing.
- Using cotton wool on a graze.
- Wrapping cling film tightly around a limb.
Recognising and managing a casualty with a medical emergency
This domain tests recognition and immediate first aid for common medical emergencies: asthma, anaphylaxis, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and seizures. The exam expects you to identify red flags, position the casualty correctly, help with their own medication, and call 999 when needed.
Core rules and concepts
- Asthma: sit the casualty upright, encourage calm breathing, and help them use their own reliever inhaler. Call 999 if they cannot speak in sentences, are exhausted, have blue lips, or do not improve.
- Anaphylaxis: suspect it with rapid swelling, breathing difficulty, widespread rash, or collapse after an allergen. Call 999, help the casualty lie flat with legs raised, and use their adrenaline auto-injector into the outer thigh. If no improvement after 5 minutes and a second device is available, give it. If breathing is difficult, allow sitting.
- Heart attack: central chest pain may spread to the arm, jaw, or neck, with sweating, nausea, or breathlessness. Sit the casualty at rest, call 999, and give 300 mg aspirin to chew if conscious, not allergic, and no severe bleeding.
- Stroke: use FAST - Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 999. Note the onset time, keep the casualty still, and give nothing by mouth.
- Diabetes: if hypoglycaemic and conscious, give fast-acting sugar, recheck, then give a longer-acting carbohydrate. If unresponsive, place in the recovery position and call 999; give nothing by mouth.
- Seizures: protect the head, do not restrain, time the seizure, and place in the recovery position afterwards. Call 999 if it lasts over 5 minutes, repeats, causes injury, or is a first seizure.
Worked example
A teenager eats a nut-containing snack and develops swollen lips, wheezing, and a widespread rash. The first aider calls 999, lies the casualty flat with legs raised, and helps them use their own adrenaline auto-injector into the outer thigh. Symptoms improve slightly but persist after 5 minutes, so a second device is used. Reasoning: this is anaphylaxis; lying flat maintains blood pressure, and early adrenaline is the priority.
Traps that cost marks
- Sitting an anaphylactic casualty upright when they are not breathless.
- Delaying adrenaline while waiting for an ambulance.
- Giving food or drink to an unconscious diabetic or stroke casualty.
- Restraining a seizure or putting objects in the mouth.
- Forgetting to note the time a stroke or seizure started.
First aid kit contents, hygiene and infection control
This domain tests the practical standards that underpin every first-aid action: having the right equipment, keeping it usable, and preventing cross-infection. The exam expects you to know typical kit contents, checking routines, and safe disposal of contaminated waste.
Core rules and concepts
- Typical workplace kit: disposable gloves, sterile dressings, adhesive dressings, bandages, eye pads, safety pins, scissors, tape, a CPR face shield, and a foil blanket. Some kits also include a burns dressing, cold pack, and tourniquet. Contents should match the employer’s risk assessment.
- Check regularly. Replace used, expired, or damaged items. Keep the kit clean, dry, and accessible. Report missing stock.
- Hand hygiene: wash hands before and after care, even when gloves are worn. Use soap and water or alcohol gel if hands are not visibly contaminated.
- PPE: wear gloves for blood or body fluids. Add eye protection or apron if splashing is likely. Cover your own cuts before helping.
- Avoid contamination: do not touch the dressing surface, do not use dressings that have fallen on the floor, and do not recap or bend used needles if any sharp is present.
- Dispose of waste safely: put used dressings and gloves in a sealed bag and follow local policy. Report any sharps injury or body-fluid exposure immediately.
Worked example
A colleague has a bleeding finger. The first aider washes their hands, puts on gloves, cleans the wound, applies a sterile dressing, and seals the used wipe and glove in a bag. They note that the kit’s last pair of gloves was used and report it for restocking. Reasoning: hand hygiene and PPE protect both people; waste is contained; stock is replenished so the next incident is not compromised.
Traps that cost marks
- Using expired or damaged dressings.
- Touching the sterile surface of a dressing.
- Removing gloves without washing hands afterwards.
- Leaving contaminated waste on a table or in an open bin.
- Failing to report a needlestick or splash exposure.