Medical Emergencies

What are the signs of a heart attack?

• AOnly nausea
• BChest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and feeling faint✓
• COnly chest pain
• DOnly feeling faint

Answer: Signs include central chest pain (often described as crushing or pressure), shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, and feeling faint or light-headed.

What is the appropriate first aid for a suspected heart attack?

• AGive water to drink
• BHave them walk about or exercise gently to get the blood flowing through the heart again, then drive them to hospital yourself
• CSit or lie the casualty down, call 999, give aspirin if available and not allergic, and provide reassurance✓
• DApply heat to the chest

Answer: Sit or lie the casualty down, call 999 immediately, give aspirin if available and not allergic, and reassure them while monitoring their condition.

What is FAST for recognising stroke?

• AFever, Anxiety, Sweating and Tremor, checked in that order before calling for help
• BFace drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 999✓
• CFast heartbeat, Alert response, Stiffness in the limbs, and Time since the symptoms began
• DFeel, Alert, Sensory, Test

Answer: FAST is a stroke recognition tool: Face drooping on one side, Arm weakness on one side, Speech difficulty or slurring, Time to call 999 immediately.

What is the appropriate first aid for a suspected stroke?

• AApply an ice pack to the head and keep the casualty walking about to maintain their circulation
• BHave them walk up and down the room and squeeze a ball in each hand to work out which side is weaker
• CCall 999 immediately, note the time of onset, lie them down, and monitor their condition✓
• DGive them food and a hot sweet drink to keep their strength up while you wait for the ambulance

Answer: Call 999 immediately (time is critical for stroke treatment), note when symptoms started, position safely, and monitor until paramedics arrive.

What are the signs of a seizure?

• AOnly sleepiness
• BOnly loss of consciousness
• COnly headache
• DLoss of consciousness, convulsions, jerking movements, muscle rigidity, and possible incontinence✓

Answer: Signs include sudden loss of consciousness, muscle jerking and convulsions, body stiffness, possible foaming at the mouth, and loss of bladder/bowel control.

What should you do during a seizure?

• AMove them away from danger, protect their head, do not restrain, and place in recovery position when the seizure ends✓
• BPut something soft between their teeth to stop them biting their tongue, and hold their arms and legs still until the jerking stops
• CLeave them alone
• DRestrain the person firmly

Answer: Do not restrain the person. Move furniture away, protect their head with something soft, position them safely, and place in recovery position after the seizure.

When should you call 999 for a seizure?

• AOnly if the person has injured themselves during the seizure and is bleeding
• BOnly for seizures lasting longer than twenty minutes, or more than five in a row
• CNever, because a seizure always stops by itself and the person simply needs to rest afterwards
• DAlways for a first-time seizure or if seizure lasts more than 5 minutes✓

Answer: Call 999 immediately for a first-time seizure or if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes (status epilepticus). Always call for someone with unknown seizure history.

What are the signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)?

• AOnly shakiness of the hands, which settles as soon as the person has eaten something and had a short rest
• BOnly a feeling of being cold, with normal speech, normal skin colour and no change at all in heart rate
• COnly hunger
• DShakiness, sweating, fast heartbeat, confusion, slurred speech, and possible loss of consciousness✓

Answer: Signs include trembling, sweating, anxiety, fast heartbeat, difficulty concentrating, slurred speech, and confusion. Severe cases can lead to unconsciousness.

What is the appropriate first aid for hypoglycemia?

• AApply ice
• BGive insulin immediately
• CIf conscious, give sugary drink or food, let them rest, and monitor✓
• DExercise to raise blood sugar

Answer: If the person is conscious, give a sugary drink (e.g., regular cola, juice) or fast-acting carbohydrate, let them rest, and recheck. Call 999 if they lose consciousness.

What are the signs of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar/diabetic emergency)?

• AOnly hunger, which goes away once the person has had a sugary drink and sat down for a rest
• BThirst, dry skin, fruity-smelling breath, rapid breathing, confusion, and lethargy✓
• COnly sweating
• DOnly thirst

Answer: Signs include extreme thirst, dry mouth and skin, fruity-smelling breath, rapid breathing (Kussmaul respirations), confusion, and lethargy.

What is anaphylaxis?

• AA severe, life-threatening allergic reaction affecting breathing, circulation, and consciousness✓
• BA reaction that is never life-threatening and always settles on its own without any treatment at all
• CA mild allergic reaction that produces a rash and some itching but never affects breathing or circulation
• DOnly a rash

Answer: Anaphylaxis is a severe, rapid-onset allergic reaction that causes breathing difficulty, cardiovascular collapse, shock, and can be fatal within minutes.

What are the signs of anaphylaxis?

• ADifficulty breathing, throat tightness, swelling of face/lips, rash, and shock✓
• BOnly itching of the skin, with normal breathing and no swelling of the face or lips
• COnly itchy, watery eyes, with no swelling and no difficulty with breathing at all
• DOnly rash

Answer: Signs include difficulty breathing, throat/tongue swelling, wheezing, rapid weak pulse, severe itching, rash, feeling faint, and shock.

What is the appropriate first aid for anaphylaxis?

• AWait and see if symptoms improve
• BGive antihistamine only
• CApply ice
• DCall 999 immediately. Use the adrenaline auto-injector if available (outer thigh). Lie the person down unless they have breathing difficulty, in which case let them sit up with legs extended. Monitor breathing; be prepared for CPR.✓

Answer: Call 999 immediately, as anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Use an adrenaline auto-injector if available, injected into the outer thigh. Lie the person down to help maintain blood flow, unless they have breathing difficulty — in which case allow them to sit up with legs extended to ease breathing. Monitor breathing closely and be prepared to start CPR if they stop breathing normally or become unresponsive.

What are the signs of a severe asthma attack?

• AOnly a persistent cough, which eases within a minute or two once the person sits down quietly
• BOnly wheezing
• CSevere difficulty breathing, wheezing, inability to speak, and cyanosis (blue lips)✓
• DOnly chest tightness

Answer: Signs include severe shortness of breath, wheezing, inability to complete sentences, peak flow meter readings, cyanosis, and silent chest (no air moving).

What should you do for a severe asthma attack?

• AApply firm pressure to the chest wall to help push the trapped air out of the lungs
• BSit them upright, call 999, use inhaler, and loosen tight clothing✓
• CLay them flat on their back with a pillow placed under both shoulders
• DGive them water to drink

Answer: Sit them upright in a comfortable position, call 999, help them use their reliever inhaler (if available), loosen tight clothing, and keep them calm.

What should you never do with an asthma sufferer?

• AReassure them calmly and stay with them until their breathing has settled again
• BLeave them alone during a severe attack or expose them to known triggers✓
• CCall for emergency services
• DHelp them to use their own reliever inhaler and stay with them while they do

Answer: Do not leave them alone during a severe attack, as they may lose consciousness. Do not expose them to known triggers, and do not panic as this increases their anxiety.

What are the signs of anaphylactic shock (different stages)?

• AOnly loss of consciousness
• BOnly rash
• CInitial rash, followed by breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, and cardiovascular collapse✓
• DOnly rapid heartbeat

Answer: Anaphylaxis can progress rapidly: skin reactions (urticaria, flushing), respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal signs, loss of consciousness, and cardiovascular collapse.

What is the correct position for someone experiencing a severe allergic reaction with difficulty breathing?

• AStomach position
• BLying flat on their back with both legs raised above the level of the heart
• CSitting upright or semi-recumbent position to ease breathing✓
• DLying flat

Answer: Position the person sitting upright or in a semi-recumbent position (propped up) to make breathing easier. This is also used for asthma and breathing difficulties.

What should you do if a diabetic person is unconscious and you are unsure if they have high or low blood sugar?

• ADo nothing at all until the ambulance crew arrive and can test the blood sugar
• BPlace them in recovery position, call 999, and do not give anything orally✓
• CGive them glucose gel or a sugary drink straight away in case it is low blood sugar
• DTry to force-feed them

Answer: If unsure of the blood sugar level in an unconscious diabetic, place in recovery position and call 999. Do not give anything by mouth.

What signs indicate that a heart attack casualty's condition is improving?

• APain decreases, they become more alert, and colour improves✓
• BBreathing becomes more difficult and the casualty grows restless and anxious
• CThe chest pain grows steadily worse but the casualty's breathing settles down
• DThe skin becomes paler and clammier than it was when you first arrived

Answer: Improvement signs include reduction in chest pain, improved breathing, better skin colour, and increased alertness. However, continue monitoring closely.

An infant under one year is choking and cannot cry or cough. What should you do?

• AUp to five back blows, then up to five chest thrusts, repeating the cycle✓
• BUp to five back blows, then up to five abdominal thrusts, as for an adult
• CHold the infant upside down by the ankles and shake until the object clears
• DPut a finger into the mouth to sweep the object out before doing anything else

Answer: An infant gets back blows and then CHEST thrusts — two fingers or the two-thumb encircling technique on the breastbone, sharper than a compression. Abdominal thrusts are never used on an infant: the liver and spleen sit low and unprotected and can be torn. Do not do a blind finger sweep, which can push the object further down. Call 999 and keep going until it clears or the infant becomes unresponsive, at which point start CPR.