Q. I don't think he's breathing.

What do I do? A. 1. See if the victim is conscious. Tap him on the shoulder and ask loudly, "Are you okay?"

2. Open the airway. Make sure it's clear. If a person's mouth is injured, his own blood can choke him. When a victim is unconscious, the tongue can fall back and block the airway. Get the tongue out of the way by tilting the head. Place the heel of one hand on the victim's forehead and tilt the head back. Place the other hand beneath the victim's neck and gently lift.

3. Find out for sure if the victim is breathing or not. Place your ear to the victim's mouth and nose. Listen and feel for breath. Look at the chest to see if it's rising and falling. If he's not breathing, you should now be ready to perform mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration. Someone who has stopped breathing can die in minutes. Serious brain damage can occur even sooner. Start mouth-to-mouth breathing right away. Don't wait.

Q. An accident. Somebody's hurt! Where do I begin?

A. Remember the "first five rules of first aid."
1. Get the victim out of danger. If he's safe where he is, try to keep him still.

2. Check for breathing. If the victim is not breathing, tilt the head back and give artificial respiration.

3. Check for bleeding. If you find it, stop it.

4. Check for shock. If you see signs, take steps to fight it.

5. Have someone call an ambulance (DIAL 911).

If you tend to these five tasks, quickly and carefully, you stand a good chance of saving someone from a life threatening injury.

Q. He's in danger here. How should I move him?

A. When you move an injured person, you risk making the injury worse. It's especially dangerous with back and neck injuries. But sometimes the risk is greater if you don't move him. Perhaps the victim is lying in the road where he could be hit. If the risk is greater in the current location, move him, but cautiously. The rule is to avoid as much bending and twisting of the neck, body and limbs as possible. For example, if you find the victim lying with legs crossed, move him with legs crossed. Broken bones have sharp edges that can cause internal damage if they move around. If someone is unconscious in the road, you can drag him to safety. Take him by the shoulders (best) or by the ankles (second best); never pull him sideways.

Q. How do I give artificial respiration?

A. 1. Open the airway and keep the head tilted as described above. Pinch the nose shut. Seal your mouth around the victim's mouth and blow in two slow, full breaths. Pull your mouth away to inhale between breaths, but don't hold it away long enough for the air to come back out of the victim's lungs.

2. Check to see if the victim does not start breathing, keep giving artificial respiration, one big breath every five seconds. Watch the victim's chest fall between breaths. If the victim does start breathing, keep the airway open and keep checking. He might stop breathing again.

BLEEDING

SHOCK

Q. How can I stop that bleeding?

A. Direct pressure is best. Press the entire area of the open wound with the palm of your hand on some kind of a clean dressing like a thick pad of cloth. The cloth between the hand and the wound will help control the bleeding by absorbing blood and allowing it to clot. Continue direct pressure until the bleeding completely stops or until the ambulance attendants take over.

Don't remove the pad if blood soaks through, that would interfere with clotting. Instead, add more thick layers of cloth and continue the direct hand pressure even more firmly.

Unless there is evidence of a broken bone, try to position the victim so the wound is elevated higher than the heart. This uses gravity to reduce blood pressure at the wound and slow the blood loss, but keep the hand pressure on.

If direct pressure and elevation won't stop severe bleeding of an arm or leg wound, try the pressure point technique. Keep the direct pressure on, too. Don't use a tourniquet unless the bleeding can't be controlled by any other means. A tourniquet cuts off all of the blood flow and can mean the loss of a limb.

If you must use a tourniquet (maybe a limb was severed), use a strip of material at least 2 inches wide and place it close to the edge of the wound. Don't use anything narrow that could cut the skin. Make note of the time you apply the tourniquet and tell the ambulance attendants or doctor.

Q. How do I check for shock?

A. Any serious injury can throw somebody into shock. Shock can kill even when the injury itself isn't all that severe.

When somebody goes into shock, several critical body functions, including blood circulation, slow down. Look for these signs:
- Skin may be pale or bluish, or it might be blotchy. On dark-skinned victims, check the fingernails and inside the mouth.
- Pulse will usually be quite rapid, but weak.
- Skin may feel cool and clammy.
- Breathing is fast. Breaths may be shallow, labored or irregular.
- Victim may be restless, anxious or thrashing about, complaining of severe thirst or nausea.
- Victim might have a vacant expression and an offhand, "so what" attitude.
- Pupils of the eyes may be open wide (dilated).

All signs may not be present and the victim may still be in shock.

Place an unconscious victim on his side to prevent choking, allowing fluids to drain from the mouth.

Q. How do I fight shock?

A. Take these steps to improve circulation and oxygen supply.

Get the victim to lie down, which is good for circulation. Don't move him if you suspect a neck or spine injury.

Wrap him up enough to conserve body heat. You don't want to warm him up, just keep him from cooling off. Don't forget blankets underneath, too. If the victim is unconscious and there are no serious injuries, put him on his side so any blood or fluids can drain from the mouth. Take extreme care to keep the airway open.

DON'T give fluids.

If the person is conscious and there are no serious leg, abdominal or chest injuries, put him on his back with his feet slightly raised. If you're in doubt about the injuries, keep him flat.

Q. Is this all I need to know?

A. Not by a long shot. If you really want to properly handle an emergency, get training. To find out about courses in your area, contact your local Red Cross chapter.