title: European first aid guidelines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objectives were to determine the most effective, safe, and feasible first aid (FA) techniques and procedures, and to formulate valid recommendations for training. We focussed on emergencies involving few casualties, where emergency medical services or healthcare professionals are not immediately present at the scene, but are available within a short space of time. Due to time and resource constraints, we limited ourselves to safety, emergency removal, psychosocial FA, traumatology, and poisoning. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was not included because guidelines are already available from the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). The FA guidelines are intended to provide guidance to authors of FA handbooks and those responsible for FA programmes. These guidelines, together with the ERC resuscitation guidelines, will be integrated into a European FA Reference Guide and a European FA Manual.
  
  
  METHODS
  To create these guidelines we used an evidence-based guideline development process, based on the methodology of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recommendations cover FA for bleeding, wounds, burns, spinal and head trauma, musculoskeletal trauma, and poisoning, as well as safety and psychosocial FA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Where good evidence was available, we were able to turn science into practice. Where evidence was lacking, the recommendations were consensus-based. These guidelines provide systematically developed recommendations and justifications for the procedures and techniques that should be included in FA manuals and training programmes.
authors.affiliation: Training Department, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders, Motstraat 40, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium. stijn.vandevelde@rodekruis.be
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van de Velde
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Broos
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Bouwelen
authors.forename: Rudy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Win
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sermon
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verduyckt
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Tichelen
authors.forename: Door
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lauwaert
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vantroyen
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tobback
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van den Steene
authors.forename: Sarmite
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villere
authors.forename: Carlos Urkia
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Mieres
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Göbl
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schunder
authors.forename: Koenraad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Monsieurs
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bierens
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cassan
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Davoli
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabbe
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aertgeerts
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D005392:First Aid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans