Medical Emergency Learning Center

This page is built as a learning and review companion for ASALT medical emergency classes. It is not a replacement for hands-on certification training, EMS, a physician, local medical protocols, or legal advice.

The recurring lesson across the uploaded materials is simple: recognize life threats early, act within your training, call 911, recruit help, and keep practicing so the skill is available under stress.

• Train through structured instruction.
• Practice enough that the steps are usable when adrenaline is high.
• Study current guidance and keep skills refreshed.
• Hand off to EMS or qualified medical professionals as soon as they arrive.

The first responder's first job is safety. Look for traffic, fire, electricity, weapons, violence, chemicals, water, unstable structures, animals, and anything else that can hurt you or other bystanders.

If the scene is unsafe, move yourself to safety and call 911. Help only when you can do so without creating another victim. If the scene changes, reassess and move if needed.

• Scan the area before kneeling next to the person.
• Use barriers such as gloves or a face shield when available.
• Move the injured person only when staying there is more dangerous than moving.
• Tell incoming responders about hazards you saw.

When help is needed, activate the emergency response system as soon as it is safe and practical. If others are present, point to one person, make eye contact, and assign the task clearly: call 911 and come back to confirm.

The uploaded class materials emphasize concise information: exact address or cross streets, your callback number, number of injured people, what happened, whether CPR or bleeding control is underway, scene hazards, and how responders can find you.

• Stay on the line unless the dispatcher tells you to hang up.
• Put the phone on speaker if you need both hands.
• Send another bystander to meet EMS at a driveway, gate, lobby, field, or parking lot.

Most emergencies improve when one person starts directing traffic. Assign named or pointed-to bystanders to call 911, get the AED, retrieve a first aid kit, control crowds, hold direct pressure, time events, or guide EMS.

Avoid vague commands to the whole crowd. Clear assignments reduce bystander freeze and make it easier to confirm that critical tasks are actually happening.

• You in the blue shirt: call 911 and tell me when they answer.
• You by the door: bring the AED and first aid kit.
• You two: keep traffic and spectators back.
• You: watch the time and tell me when two minutes pass.

If the person is responsive, identify yourself at a simple level, ask permission to help, and respect a competent refusal unless the situation changes. If the person is unresponsive or unable to answer, emergency aid is generally treated as implied consent.

Stay within your level of training. CPR, AED use, direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet use belong in lay-responder training when taught properly. Advanced procedures do not.

• Do not delay 911 while debating legal questions.
• Do not perform procedures you were not trained to perform.
• Transfer care to EMS and tell them what you did and when.

Colorado's Good Samaritan statute, C.R.S. 13-21-108, is designed to encourage emergency assistance by limiting civil liability for people who render aid in good faith at the place of an emergency.

For class purposes, the practical point is this: act in good faith, do not accept payment for the emergency aid, avoid reckless conduct, and stay within your training. Organizations and responders should verify current law with qualified counsel because statutes can change.

• Good-faith aid is the core idea.
• Gross negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional harm is not protected.
• This page is educational and not legal advice.

The Chain of Survival explains why bystander action matters. Recognizing cardiac arrest, calling 911, starting CPR, and using an AED can keep oxygenated blood moving until EMS arrives.

The class materials frame the civilian responder's goal as keeping the person alive and getting professional help moving as fast as possible.

• Recognize cardiac arrest and call 911.
• Start high-quality CPR.
• Use an AED as soon as it is available.
• Continue until EMS takes over, the person shows clear signs of life, the scene becomes unsafe, or you are physically unable to continue.

Cardiac arrest is sudden collapse with no normal breathing. Start CPR, send for an AED, and call 911. A heart attack usually means blocked blood flow to the heart while the person may still be awake and breathing. Call 911 and keep the person calm.

Stroke warning signs include face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, sudden confusion, vision changes, trouble walking, severe headache, or other sudden neurologic symptoms. Call 911 immediately.

• Cardiac arrest: CPR and AED.
• Heart attack: 911, rest, monitor, be ready for CPR if the person becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally.
• Stroke: 911 fast; note the time symptoms started or when the person was last known well.

Check responsiveness by tapping and shouting. If the person does not respond and is not breathing normally, start CPR. Gasping is not normal breathing.

For trained healthcare providers, a pulse check may be part of the protocol. For lay rescuers, do not let uncertainty delay compressions when the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

• Tap and shout.
• Send someone to call 911 and get the AED.
• Start compressions if there is no normal breathing.
• Use the AED as soon as it arrives.

Core CPR quality points are consistent across the upload materials and AHA guidance: correct hand placement, compression rate of 100 to 120 per minute, adequate depth, full recoil, and minimal interruptions.

For adults, compress at least 2 inches deep while avoiding excessive depth. For children and infants, use about one-third the depth of the chest. Follow your course protocol for breaths and team roles.

• Place hands on the lower half of the breastbone for adults and children.
• Push at 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
• Let the chest fully recoil after each compression.
• Switch compressors about every two minutes if another trained person is available.

Hands-only CPR is intended for sudden collapse in adults and teens. Call 911, place your hands in the center of the chest, and push hard and fast until help or an AED arrives.

Breaths still matter in many situations, especially infants, children, drowning, overdose, breathing emergencies, and trained-rescuer contexts. Follow the training you have.

• Call 911.
• Push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
• Do not stop unless the person responds, an AED tells you to pause, EMS takes over, the scene becomes unsafe, or you cannot continue.

Adults usually receive two-hand compressions on the lower half of the breastbone. Children may receive one or two hands depending on size. Infants use two fingers for a single rescuer or the two-thumb encircling technique for two trained rescuers.

The uploaded ASALT material emphasizes adult, child, and infant skills practice. Use the protocol from your certifying course and keep the rhythm, depth, recoil, and low-interruption principles constant.

• Adult: compress at least 2 inches, 100 to 120 per minute.
• Child: compress about one-third the chest depth, often about 2 inches.
• Infant: compress about one-third the chest depth, often about 1.5 inches.
• Single rescuers commonly use 30 compressions to 2 breaths when breaths are part of the course protocol.

AEDs are designed to guide rescuers through use with prompts. The two most important first moves are to turn the device on and listen to it. Continue CPR until the AED tells you to pause.

When the AED analyzes or shocks, make sure nobody is touching the person. Resume compressions immediately after shock delivery or after a no-shock-advised prompt unless the AED directs otherwise.

• Expose and dry the chest if needed.
• Attach pads as shown on the diagrams.
• Clear everyone during analysis and shock.
• Resume CPR immediately when prompted.

For adults, AED pads are commonly placed with one pad on the upper right chest and one on the lower left side of the chest. For infants and small children, front-and-back placement may be needed if pads would touch.

Use pediatric pads or pediatric settings when available for children and infants. If pediatric equipment is not available in a life-threatening emergency, use the available AED and follow the device prompts. Do not use pediatric pads or a pediatric dose setting on an adult.

• Dry the chest if wet.
• Remove medication patches with gloves if they are in the pad area.
• Place pads at least an inch from implanted devices when practical.
• If chest hair prevents pad contact, shave quickly if the AED kit includes a razor.

The uploaded Colorado AED overview and Good Samaritan guide both point to C.R.S. 13-21-108.1. For organizations that place AEDs, the course takeaway is to treat the AED as a program, not just a box on the wall.

A practical readiness file should include AED placement, trained personnel, maintenance and pad/battery checks, EMS activation process, dispatch/location notification, and post-use reporting. Verify current Colorado requirements with the official statutes and qualified counsel.

• Train expected AED users in CPR and AED use.
• Inspect and maintain the AED according to manufacturer instructions.
• Track pads, batteries, readiness indicators, and use events.
• Tell local dispatch where AEDs are located if required by your program.

A mild airway block means the person can cough, speak, or make sounds. Encourage coughing and stay close. A severe airway block means the person cannot breathe, cannot cough effectively, cannot speak, or makes the choking gesture.

For a severe airway block, call 911 and use the technique taught in your course. Do not perform a blind finger sweep because it can push the object deeper or injure the person.

• Adults and children: abdominal thrusts are commonly taught; chest thrusts may be used for pregnant or larger people.
• If the person becomes unresponsive, lower them carefully, call 911 if not already done, and start CPR.
• Check the mouth only if you see an object you can remove safely.

For infants, courses commonly teach cycles of back blows and chest thrusts while supporting the infant's head and neck. Do not use abdominal thrusts on an infant.

If the infant becomes unresponsive, begin CPR and call 911. As with adults, do not blindly sweep the mouth.

• Use infant-specific technique from your certification course.
• Support the head and neck.
• Call 911 quickly if the airway does not clear or the infant becomes unresponsive.

Signs of breathing distress can include wheezing, gasping, blue or gray skin, inability to speak full sentences, severe anxiety, tripod positioning, exhaustion, or worsening mental status.

Help the person sit upright if that is comfortable. If they have a prescribed inhaler and can use it, help them locate it. Call 911 for severe, worsening, or unfamiliar breathing trouble.

• Do not give someone another person's prescription medication.
• Be ready to start CPR if the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally.
• Keep monitoring until EMS arrives.

Possible anaphylaxis signs include trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, widespread hives, vomiting, dizziness, collapse, or symptoms after a known exposure. Call 911 immediately.

If the person has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, help them use it according to training and local law. Monitor breathing and be ready for CPR.

• Do not delay 911 for severe allergic reactions.
• A second dose may be needed according to the person's prescription and dispatcher or medical direction.
• Symptoms can return after initial improvement, so EMS evaluation matters.

Medication, drug, alcohol, and poison emergencies may show up as altered mental status, vomiting, slow or abnormal breathing, seizures, pinpoint pupils, empty containers, chemical exposure, or collapse.

For suspected opioid overdose, naloxone can rapidly reverse opioid effects when available and used as directed. Naloxone is not a substitute for 911 because breathing support, monitoring, and additional care may still be needed.

• Call 911 for unresponsiveness, abnormal breathing, seizures, chest pain, severe symptoms, or uncertainty.
• Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for poison guidance when there is no immediate life threat.
• Save containers, labels, or substance information for responders if it is safe to do so.

Treat bleeding as life-threatening when blood is spurting, pooling, soaking through clothing or bandages, coming from a partial or complete amputation, or when the person is confused, pale, weak, or showing shock signs after injury.

The uploaded STOP THE BLEED material repeatedly emphasizes that in trauma, massive bleeding gets attention first. Call 911, put on gloves if available, and compress the bleeding.

• Alert 911.
• Find the bleeding.
• Compress with direct pressure, wound packing, or a tourniquet depending on location and training.
• Keep pressure on until EMS arrives or a tourniquet/pressure dressing is secure.

ABCs keeps the responder from overthinking the first minute: Alert 911, identify the bleeding source, and compress the bleeding. Compression may mean direct pressure, wound packing, or tourniquet use.

This is one of the most important crossovers between the uploaded STB deck and the public STOP THE BLEED program.

• A - Alert 911.
• B - Bleeding: find the source.
• C - Compress: direct pressure, pack the wound, or apply a tourniquet.

Apply firm, continuous pressure directly on the bleeding wound with gloved hands, gauze, cloth, or a pressure dressing. If pressure controls the bleeding, keep it on until help arrives.

Do not keep lifting the dressing to check. If blood soaks through, add more material on top and continue pressure unless your training directs a different escalation.

• Use gloves if available.
• Press directly on the source of bleeding.
• Maintain pressure; do not peek repeatedly.
• Escalate to wound packing or a tourniquet when indicated and trained.

Pack deep bleeding wounds with gauze or hemostatic gauze if trained and available, then apply firm pressure. Common training examples include groin, armpit, base-of-neck, and other junctional wounds.

Do not pack chest or abdominal cavity wounds. If an object is impaled, do not remove it; stabilize around it and control bleeding around the object as trained.

• Pack to the source of bleeding, not just the surface.
• Hold firm pressure after packing.
• Secure the dressing if possible while maintaining pressure.
• Tell EMS what material was used and when.

Use a commercial tourniquet for life-threatening arm or leg bleeding when trained. If the wound is visible, place the tourniquet 2 to 3 inches above the wound and not over a joint. If the exact wound location cannot be found quickly or the situation is dangerous, high and tight on the limb is commonly taught for speed.

Tighten until the bleeding stops. This will hurt. Secure the windlass, note the time if possible, and do not remove the tourniquet once bleeding is controlled. If bleeding continues, add a second tourniquet above the first if trained.

• Use real, reputable tourniquets for emergency kits.
• Practice with a training tourniquet, not your sealed emergency tourniquet.
• Do not place over a joint.
• Tell EMS where and when it was applied.

The uploaded STB material notes that adult tourniquets can work for many children, but very small children or infants may be too small for a standard tourniquet to fit effectively.

For very small limbs, direct pressure and wound packing may control bleeding. The principle is the same: stop the bleeding fast, call 911, and keep monitoring airway, breathing, and shock.

• Use direct pressure immediately.
• Use a tourniquet only when it fits and is needed for severe limb bleeding.
• Wound packing can be appropriate for deep wounds when trained.
• Prevent heat loss while waiting for EMS.

A penetrating chest wound can let air enter the chest cavity and interfere with breathing. Call 911, expose the wound if safe, and use a commercial chest seal if trained and available.

If you do not have a commercial seal, follow your first aid training and dispatcher instructions for covering the wound. Watch breathing closely and be ready for the person's condition to worsen.

• Do not use a tourniquet or wound packing for a chest hole.
• Use a chest seal when trained and available.
• Monitor breathing and responsiveness.
• Treat for shock and prevent heat loss.

MARCH helps responders prioritize trauma problems. The uploaded trauma outlines use it to teach scanning and treating as you go, especially in scenarios with bleeding, airway problems, chest injury, shock, and cold exposure.

For civilian training, keep it simple and within scope: stop major bleeding, open the airway if trained, support breathing, watch for shock, keep the person warm, call 911, and hand off to EMS.

• M - Massive hemorrhage.
• A - Airway.
• R - Respiration.
• C - Circulation and shock signs.
• H - Hypothermia prevention and head injury concerns.

Shock signs can include pale, cool, clammy skin, weakness, confusion, anxiety, rapid breathing, thirst, dizziness, or worsening responsiveness. Major bleeding and trauma can lead to shock quickly.

Call 911, control life threats, keep the person still, and prevent heat loss with a blanket or emergency blanket. Do not give food or drink to a seriously injured or altered person.

• Control bleeding first.
• Keep the person warm, not hot.
• Monitor breathing and responsiveness.
• Reassure the person and keep them as still as practical.

Movement can worsen injuries, especially head, neck, spine, fracture, or impaled-object injuries. But fire, traffic, violence, water, collapse risk, or other immediate hazards may force movement.

When movement is necessary, move to the nearest safer place, protect the head and neck as much as practical, avoid twisting, and use help from other bystanders if available.

• Move yourself to safety first.
• Move the person only as far as needed.
• Use simple drags or carries practiced in class.
• Reassess bleeding, airway, breathing, and responsiveness after moving.

Warning signs include loss of consciousness, confusion, repeated vomiting, severe headache, seizure, weakness, numbness, unequal pupils, neck pain, back pain, or worsening mental status.

Keep the person still if the scene is safe. Call 911 for serious signs. Do not move the person unless the scene is unsafe or movement is needed for lifesaving care.

• Support the head and neck in the position found if practical.
• Do not remove helmets unless trained and necessary for airway or CPR.
• Watch for vomiting or breathing changes.
• Do not let an athlete return to play after suspected concussion.

For minor thermal burns, cool the area with cool running water when available, remove jewelry or tight items before swelling, cover with a clean dressing, and do not break blisters.

Call 911 for serious burns, airway or facial burns, electrical burns, chemical burns, large or circumferential burns, or burns with trouble breathing, shock, or major trauma.

• Do not use ice directly on burns.
• Brush off dry chemicals before flushing if it is safe.
• Remove contaminated clothing unless stuck to the skin.
• Keep the person warm after cooling the burn.

Suspect fracture or serious sprain when there is deformity, severe pain, swelling, inability to use the limb, bone exposure, numbness, or a high-energy mechanism such as a fall, crash, or crush injury.

Do not force a limb straight. Help the person stay still, support the injured area, control bleeding, apply cold packs if appropriate, and seek medical care.

• Call 911 for open fracture, severe deformity, numbness, blue or cold limb, or major trauma.
• Remove jewelry near the injury before swelling if possible.
• Immobilize in the position found if trained and needed.
• Do not give food or drink if surgery or sedation may be needed.

Heat illness may begin with cramps, weakness, dizziness, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, or fainting. Move the person to shade or a cooler area, loosen clothing, cool them, and give water only if awake and able to swallow safely.

Heat stroke signs include confusion, collapse, seizure, very high body temperature, or altered mental status. Call 911 and begin rapid cooling.

• Move out of heat.
• Cool with water, fans, cold packs, or available methods.
• Call 911 for altered mental status or severe symptoms.
• Do not give fluids to someone who is confused, vomiting, or unable to swallow safely.

Hypothermia warning signs include shivering, confusion, clumsiness, slurred speech, sleepiness, or worsening mental status. Move the person out of the cold, remove wet clothing if possible, and warm gradually.

Frostbite may cause numb, pale, hard, waxy, or painful skin. Protect the area from refreezing, avoid rubbing, and seek medical care.

• Call 911 for altered mental status or whole-body hypothermia.
• Warm the core first.
• Do not rub frostbitten skin.
• Do not rewarm frostbite if it may refreeze.

During a seizure, move hazards away, cushion the head if possible, and time the seizure. Do not hold the person down and do not put anything in the mouth.

Call 911 for a first seizure, seizure lasting several minutes, repeated seizures, injury, breathing problems, seizure in water, pregnancy, diabetes, or failure to recover normally.

• After shaking stops, check breathing.
• Place the person on their side if trained and no spine injury is suspected.
• Stay until they are alert or EMS arrives.
• Do not offer food or drink until fully awake.

The uploaded emergency response outlines include scenario practice for bicycle injuries, school sports events, workplace bleeding, public chest injuries, eye injuries, car crashes, and restaurant choking.

The scene changes, but the starting pattern stays consistent: safety, 911, bystander assignments, responsiveness and breathing, life-threatening bleeding control, CPR/AED when indicated, and handoff to EMS.

• Do a safety scan before entering.
• Assign 911 and AED/kit retrieval.
• Treat the biggest life threat first.
• Keep reassessing as the situation changes.

Do not enter an unsafe scene. Call 911 early, move away from ongoing danger, and direct other bystanders only if it is safe. In a public incident, responders need clear information about location, hazards, number of injured people, and access points.

If you can safely help, focus on immediate life threats: severe bleeding, no normal breathing, airway obstruction, and shock. Avoid becoming trapped in tasks that prevent you from noticing a bigger hazard.

• Stop and scan before acting.
• Move people away from danger if safe.
• Use simple commands and point to specific helpers.
• Tell EMS what you saw and what care was started.

A practice kit can include a training tourniquet, gauze rolls, elastic bandages, trainer chest seals, gloves, medical shears, AED trainer, CPR mask, and scenario cards.

An emergency kit should contain real, inspectable supplies and should be staged where it can be reached quickly: home, vehicle, classroom, office, gym, church, range, or event space.

• Label practice gear so it is not mistaken for emergency gear.
• Keep emergency supplies sealed until needed.
• Practice opening the kit and finding items by touch.
• Restock after every use or class demonstration.

The uploaded STB material lists tourniquets, medical shears, gauze, elastic bandages, chest seals, duct tape, and gloves. A broader class kit may also include pressure dressings, CPR face shield, emergency blanket, marker, flashlight, and personal medications or supplies appropriate to the setting.

Keep the kit simple enough that a stressed responder can find what matters quickly. Store it visibly and train likely users.

• Tourniquets and pressure dressings for major limb bleeding.
• Gauze or hemostatic gauze for wound packing when trained.
• Chest seals for penetrating chest wounds when trained.
• Gloves, face shield, shears, blanket, marker, and light.

Check AED readiness indicators, batteries, pads, seals, gloves, gauze, tourniquets, and packaging. Replace expired, damaged, missing, opened, or contaminated items.

For organizations, keep inspection records, maintenance logs, AED placement information, and post-use reports according to program requirements and current law.

• Set a recurring inspection date.
• Track AED pad and battery expiration.
• Replace training-used emergency supplies.
• Keep kits visible and reachable.

The uploaded ASALT materials include skills testing, scenario work, CPR/AED performance checks, and repeated tourniquet drills. Those are not filler; they are how a learned idea becomes a usable response.

A good refresher session can be short: check scene safety language, assign 911/AED, run two minutes of CPR, apply a training tourniquet, pack a simulated wound, review choking steps, and inspect the kit.

• Practice CPR compression quality.
• Practice AED pad placement and clear commands.
• Practice direct pressure, packing, and tourniquet placement.
• Run one realistic scenario with bystander assignments.

A short class cannot prepare a responder for every injury, medical condition, legal issue, scene threat, or emotional reaction. Use training to act earlier and safer, not to exceed your role.

Call 911, follow dispatcher instructions, use skills within your training, and transfer care to EMS or qualified medical professionals when they arrive.

• Do not delay EMS.
• Do not perform advanced procedures outside your training.
• Do not promise outcomes.
• Keep learning, practicing, and updating your skills.