The Primary Survey: What to Check First

This course does not replace professional care

Field medicine buys time until real care exists. Whenever professional help is reachable, get it — these skills are for when it is not. The framework is always the same, and it starts before you touch anyone.

Danger — Response — Airway — Breathing — Circulation

1. Danger: check the scene first — fire, falling rock, traffic, animals, weather. A second victim helps no one; make the scene safe or move the casualty.
2. Response: shout and gently shake — do they answer?
3. Airway: if unresponsive, tilt the head and lift the chin to open the airway.
4. Breathing: look, listen and feel for normal breathing for up to 10 seconds.
5. Circulation: control any massive bleeding immediately — in trauma, catastrophic bleeding comes even before airway.

The golden rules

• Treat the silent ones first — the screaming casualty is breathing; the quiet one may not be.
• Never move a casualty with a suspected spine injury unless the scene forces it.
• Keep them warm: every shocked body loses heat; a casualty on the ground is a casualty freezing.
• Send for help early — the fastest runner with clear information is a treatment.