If you have no medical training, what is the recommended field assessment approach for a casualty?

• A. Check airway, breathing, and circulation; provide basic first aid within your training; call EMS; monitor and reassess
• B. Administer advanced life-support procedures
• C. Diagnose the casualty's medical condition
• D. Move the casualty to shelter immediately

Answer: (A)

When you have no medical training, the priority is to quickly stabilize the casualty with a simple, practical field approach. Start by checking the airway to make sure it’s clear and open, then assess whether they’re breathing, and finally check circulation. These steps target the most immediate threats to life and are things a layperson can do right away. After handling the basics within your training, call emergency services so professionals can take over, and keep monitoring and reassessing the casualty’s condition as you wait. Advanced life‑support procedures, diagnosing a medical condition, or performing actions beyond your training aren’t appropriate in this situation. Moving the casualty to shelter should only happen if there’s an immediate danger in the current location; otherwise, focus on stabilization and getting help. This approach—airway, breathing, circulation; basic first aid within your training; call EMS; and ongoing monitoring—gives the best chance of survival for a non‑professional responder.