Basic first aid skills examination question bank and answer analysis

This question bank summarizes the high-frequency test points for the Red Cross First Aid Certificate, AHA Heartsaver Public First Aid Certificate, and first aid assessment for all employees in enterprises and institutions that I have collected during my three years as a first aid training assistant. It covers more than 80% of the original questions of the basic first aid examination. All answers are marked with the scoring differences of different domestic first aid systems. Controversial questions are accompanied by guides from different schools, so there is no need to read scattered outdated information everywhere.

To be honest, many people always want to memorize knowledge points when preparing for the exam. In fact, the core logic of the first aid exam is very simple: save life first, then reduce damage, and never cause secondary damage. If you use this logic to fool around, the accuracy rate can reach more than 70%. I have seen too many students who answer a lot of questions on a daily basis and are confused when they encounter scenario questions in the examination room. In essence, they have not understood the practical logic of the test points.

The first question is the score-sending question that must be taken every year. In the 3 years I have been proctoring the exam, I have never seen a question that has not been answered:

> Scenario question: On the way to get off work, you meet someone who suddenly falls to the ground. You tap his shoulder and shout, but he doesn’t respond and his chest doesn’t rise. What is your first step?

> A. Kneel down immediately and perform chest compressions

> B. Call out to people around you to help call 120, get an AED nearby, and confirm the safety of the scene.

> C. Pry open his mouth and check for foreign objects

> D. Give 2 artificial respirations first

The answer is B. Don't laugh, it's true that nearly 30% of candidates will choose A. They always feel that pressing first is the right thing. Think about it, if you perform chest compressions alone and hold on for 10 minutes, you will be exhausted. If no one helps you call 120 or get an AED, you will still be unable to save the person after you can no longer hold them. Whether it is the system of the domestic Red Cross or the international guidelines of the AHA, the requirements for this step are unified and non-controversial.

This is the most controversial high-frequency question. Every time I answer questions before the exam, I am asked seven or eight times:

> True or False Question: When performing the Heimlich maneuver on an adult, if the foreign object is not expelled after 5 consecutive abdominal thrusts, you can pat his back hard to assist in expulsion.

How to choose the answer? It depends on what certificate you are taking: If you are taking the first aid certificate of the domestic Red Cross Society, just choose "right". The teacher must have taught you during the training, 5 back pats + 5 abdominal thrusts alternately. ； If you are taking the AHA certification test, the guidelines before the 2020 version were wrong. Previously, it was thought that patting on the back might cause foreign objects to get stuck deeper. However, after the 2020 version update, the operation of patting on the back was also recognized. Now the scoring standards of the two systems have been basically unified. If you encounter it in the examination room, you will basically not be deducted if you choose the right one.

Speaking of Heimlich, let me talk about the test points for children with foreign objects stuck in their throats. Last time, a mother who took the exam came down and told me that many of the questions she had answered before were different from those in the training. She almost answered wrong:

> Multiple-choice question: A baby under 1 year old has jelly stuck in his throat and is conscious. How should he reject it?

> A. Handstand pat on the back

> B. Heimlich abdominal thrust

> C. Lie on the rescuer’s forearm, tap the middle of the shoulder blades with the heel of your palm, and perform chest compressions

> D. Put your hands on your throat

The answer is C. Don't believe in the crude method of standing on the back and patting the back. The baby's cervical vertebrae are particularly fragile. Standing upside down can easily injure the cervical vertebrae and cause more trouble. If the baby has lost consciousness, just do the baby version of CPR without having to pat the baby on the back.

Let’s put another question in the area where practical points are severely deducted. When I changed the practical paper, more than half of the people lost points here:

> Operational question: My colleague stepped on the ground and sprained his left foot when he was going downstairs. His ankle was swollen, but he could barely stand. How should he deal with it on the spot?

Many people immediately say, "Rub it to activate blood circulation," "Apply some safflower oil," and "Hurry up and apply heat." They are all wrong. The answers to the standard test are based on the RICE principle: stop the activity immediately and rest (Rest), wrap a towel with an ice pack or frozen mineral water as a cold compress (Ice), use an elastic bandage for compression (Compression), put the foot pads higher than the heart level (Elevation), do not rub, do not apply hot compresses, and do not apply blood-activating medicine, and consider applying hot compresses after 24 hours. Oh, yes, here is the latest research point of view. Now there are sports medicine experts who believe that it is not necessary to completely immobilize, and appropriate mild pain-free activities are conducive to recovery. But don’t write this during the exam. Answering according to RICE will definitely get full marks. You can flexibly adjust it when used in reality.

This question is of the type that looks simple but has a lot of pitfalls:

> True or False question: When using an AED (automatic external defibrillator) to save someone, if there is sweat on the patient's chest, it must be wiped dry before electrode pads can be attached.

The answer is right. Water conducts electricity. If there is sweat or water on the chest, the current will be dispersed when the electrode pad is attached, and the defibrillation effect will be much worse. By the way, I also mentioned some common test points for AED: If the patient has an implanted pacemaker, the electrode pads should stay away from the pacemaker by at least 2.5 centimeters. ； If you have too much hair on your chest that cannot be shaved off, just press the electrode pads firmly on your chest. There is no need to waste time looking for a razor. ； When the AED prompts for defibrillation, no one can touch the patient, otherwise it will interfere with judgment.

Finally, let’s talk about a test point that everyone often encounters in life:

> Multiple-choice question: I took my baby to the park to play on the weekend and was scratched by a stray cat on the roadside. The skin was broken but there was no bleeding. What should I do?

> A. If there is no bleeding, don’t worry, just flush it.

> B. Wash with soapy water for more than 15 minutes and get rabies vaccine

> C. Just squeeze out the blood

The answer is B. There is also a controversial point here: If the cat that catches you is a home-raised cat that has been fully vaccinated against rabies and has not been exposed to other animals, you can actually use the 10-day observation method. As long as the cat does not die within 10 days, you do not need to vaccinate. However, this is a flexible approach in practice. No matter what the situation is during the exam, you can choose to vaccinate as long as the skin is broken. You will definitely not go wrong.

In fact, after all, the basic first aid exam tests content that is closely related to ordinary people's lives. There is really no need to memorize it by rote. Just remember one principle: don't do it blindly, first ensure your own safety, and then save others. If you are really unsure, just wait for 120, which is better than rushing around and adding chaos. If you are still unsure about any questions when preparing for the exam, you can also leave a message and ask me. I have more than 300 real questions for your reference.