First on the Scene
Being involved or witnessing an accident can be a very traumatic experience. Especially if you are trying to understand what actually happened due to poor eyesight or just general shock. Although laser eye surgery may have helped in this situation, even if the details are not fully accurate people still need your help. Those that arrive and witness the accident can often find themselves to be the only one present at the scene. At this point it is very important to make the area safe.
This requires assessing the situation. Your attention needs to be focused on any continuing danger, for instance, petrol leaking from a crashed car. From there we need to make an assessment of the casualties and whether anyone is in immediate danger, including yourself.
Once assessing the extent of the accident, do you need to call the emergency services?
Attention should always go to the silent casualties as more often than not they will be suffering from more serious injuries. It is understandable that when you see a patient that is screaming for help, it can be very difficult to move your attention to the quiet patient.
However, it is usually the quiet patient that is suffering from more serious injuries.
When dealing with patients who appear to not be unconscious follow the ABC first aid laws of breathing. Check and clear the patient’s airway if needs be, listen and feel for breathing and then finally if a person is breathing or speaking their circulation issues should be relatively minium. Only performed CPR is you are trained.
When put in this position it is most important to stay calm.