Urgent Care First Aid Quick Tips

To minimize injury you can take some basic actions, as outlined in these first aid tips, between the time the injury occurs and when you get treatment. You should use your best judgment, seeking medical attention for all of these types of injuries when needed.

Animal Bite Broken Bone Cut or Scrape

Child with Fever Dehydration Embedded Object / Foreign Body

Heat Exhaustion Heat Stroke Knocked-Out Tooth

Animal Bite

• Apply pressure with a clean, dry cloth to help stop bleeding.
• Don’t remove pressure; if bleeding continues, add more clean, dry cloths.

Broken Bone

• Stop any bleeding with a sterile bandage or clean cloth.
• Immobilize the injured area using a splint, if available.
• Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain.
• If the person appears to be in shock, have the person lie flat and elevate their legs.

Cut or Scrape

• Apply pressure with a clean cloth or bandage to help stop the bleeding.
• Don’t remove pressure; if bleeding continues, add more clean cloths or bandages.

Child with Fever

• Don’t treat a child’s fever with aspirin.
• Use Tylenol® or Motrin® as prescribed based on the child’s weight.
• Apply a cold compress to the child’s forehead and dress the child in light, loose-fitting clothes.

Dehydration

• Sip small amounts of water.
• Drink carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing drinks. Good choices are sports drinks such as Gatorade® or prepared replacement solutions such as Pedialyte®.
• Suck on plain ice chips, or popsicles made from juices and/or sports drinks.
• Sip through a straw (works well for someone who is recovering from jaw surgery or mouth sores).

Embedded Object / Foreign Body

• Don’t try to remove the foreign object.
• Carefully wrap gauze or clean clothing around the area to prevent the object from moving.
• Apply pressure around the area with a sterile bandage or clean cloth to limit bleeding.
• Don’t remove pressure; if bleeding continues, add more clean cloths or bandages.

Heat Exhaustion

• Rest in a cool, shaded area.
• Give cool fluids such as sports drinks that will replace lost salt. Salty snacks are appropriate, as tolerated.
• Loosen or remove clothing.
• Don’t use an alcohol rub.
• Don’t give any beverages containing alcohol or caffeine.

Heat Stroke

Alert: Unlike heat exhaustion, heat stroke is a medical emergency. You should call an ambulance immediately; do not attempt to treat a case of heat stroke on your own. You can help while waiting for medical assistance to arrive by doing the following:

• Move the person to a cooler environment, or place him/her in a cool bath of water (as long as he/she is conscious and can be attended continuously).
• Alternatively, moisten the skin with lukewarm water and use a fan to blow cool air across the skin.
• Give cool beverages by mouth if he/she can tolerate them.

Knocked-Out Tooth

• Handle the tooth by the top only, avoiding the root, and rinse it in a bowl of tap water.
• Try to replace the tooth in the socket and bite gently on a gauze or a moistened tea bag to keep it in place.
• If it doesn’t stay, place it in a bowl of either whole milk, the person’s own saliva, or a warm, mild saltwater solution.

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