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AHA/American Red Cross: Updated First Aid Guidelines Enhance Care for Opioid Overdose, Bleeding, Other Emergencies
DALLAS and WASHINGTON — The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross released the “2024 Guidelines for First Aid,” which provide critical updates that equip first aid responders with the latest evidence-based practices to effectively respond to mild, moderate and life-threatening emergencies. The guidelines are published in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s flagship journal.
“Providing first aid care is about recognizing that an emergency has occurred – that someone is ill or injured – and assessing them and then prioritizing their needs. First aid training is essential to apply the appropriate knowledge and skills for saving lives and reducing harm,” said Elizabeth Hewett Brumberg, M.D., co-chair of the guidelines writing group and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and member of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. “These updates reflect the changing landscape of public health challenges and aim to equip trained professionals and the public with lifesaving skills that are more critical than ever.”
These are the first major comprehensive updates to the first aid guidelines since 2010 and address shifts in how the public manages common and critical first aid emergencies.
The updated guidelines reaffirm essential strategies for emergency responders that have become common in recent years but have not been formally documented. For bystanders, the guidelines offer instruction on how to recognize when professional help is needed and when to use available tools and medications effectively for conditions.
The most significant changes between the 2010 and 2024 guidelines are the expanded scope of emergency care conditions. The 2010 version focuses on basic first aid topics like chest pain, stroke recognition and bleeding. The 2024 version provides greater specificity for these conditions and includes detailed guidance on several scenarios including managing an opioid overdose, addressing a feeling of fainting and treating a tick bite. In addition, the 2024 guidelines expand recommendations on emergency situations previously covered in addition to a broader range of situations, as well. Guidance is also enhanced for emergency care involving children.
Emergency situations covered in the 2024 guidelines include:
- Opioid Overdose Management
- External Bleeding Control
- First Aid for Open Chest Wounds
- Administration of Oxygen and Use of Pulse Oximetry
- Spinal Motion Restriction
- Chest Pain in Adults
- Stroke Recognition in Adults and Children
- First Aid for Seizures
- Heatstroke and Hypothermia
- First Aid for Tick Bites
- Assistance with Administration of Prescribed Medications
Matthew J. Douma, Ph.D. (c), M.N., co-chair of the writing group, professor of critical care medicine at the University of Alberta in Canada and American Heart Association volunteer, emphasizes bystanders should act within their abilities and respect the person receiving care. He noted, “We encourage everyone to take a first aid class to learn the skills and techniques to provide emergency care. We know first aid saves lives, so training, maintaining these skills and having a first aid kit on hand are essential.”
The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross have rich histories of delivering lifesaving first aid and CPR training. The 2024 first aid guidelines recommendations reflect alignment with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), of which the Association is a founding member, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society a collaborating member. The joint guidelines provide the official clinical practice recommendations for first aid including emergency cardiovascular care for adults and children. The American Heart Association and the Red Cross support the development and publication of clinical practice guidelines without commercial support, and members volunteer their time to the writing and review efforts.
These guidelines were prepared by the volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association and the Red Cross. The guidelines writing group includes experts from nursing, emergency medicine, pediatrics, trauma, emergency medical services, wilderness medicine, education and research. Members conducted evidence review and syntheses approved by the Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Subcommittee and the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council.
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