Quick Reference
The mnemonics, sequences, and ranges you want at your fingertips. Always defer to your patrol’s current protocols.
Primary Assessment
Find and fix life threats, in order
- X
- eXsanguinating hemorrhage — control massive bleeding first
- A
- Airway — open and clear; jaw thrust if spine suspected
- B
- Breathing — rate, depth, effort; assist if inadequate
- C
- Circulation — pulse, skin color/temp/moisture, cap refill
- D
- Disability — AVPU, pupils, gross neuro check
- E
- Expose/Environment — see the injury, protect from cold
AVPU Scale
Rapid level of responsiveness
- A
- Alert — awake, oriented, interacting
- V
- Verbal — responds to voice
- P
- Pain — responds only to painful stimulus
- U
- Unresponsive — no response
SAMPLE History
Structured patient history
- S
- Signs & symptoms
- A
- Allergies
- M
- Medications
- P
- Pertinent past medical history
- L
- Last oral intake
- E
- Events leading up to the incident
OPQRST
Exploring a chief complaint
- O
- Onset — what were you doing when it started?
- P
- Provocation/Palliation — what makes it better or worse?
- Q
- Quality — sharp, dull, crushing, burning?
- R
- Radiation — does it move anywhere?
- S
- Severity — 0–10 scale
- T
- Time — how long, constant or intermittent?
DCAP-BTLS
What your hands look for in the exam
- D
- Deformities
- C
- Contusions
- A
- Abrasions
- P
- Punctures / penetrations
- B
- Burns
- T
- Tenderness
- L
- Lacerations
- S
- Swelling
Normal Adult Vital Signs
Typical resting ranges — trends beat single values
- Respirations
- 12–20 breaths/min, quiet and effortless
- Pulse
- 60–100 beats/min, strong and regular
- Systolic BP
- Roughly 90–140 mmHg
- Skin
- Pink (nail beds/membranes), warm, dry
- Cap refill
- Under 2 seconds
- Pupils
- Equal, round, reactive to light (PERRL)
Pediatric Vitals (approx.)
Faster is normal — know the shift by age
- Infant (<1 yr)
- RR 25–50 · HR 100–160
- Toddler (1–3)
- RR 20–30 · HR 90–150
- Preschool (3–6)
- RR 20–25 · HR 80–140
- School age (6–12)
- RR 15–20 · HR 70–120
- Adolescent
- RR 12–20 · HR 60–100
Shock: Early vs Late
Catch it while it's still treatable
- Early
- Anxiety, tachycardia, pale/cool/clammy skin, thirst, delayed cap refill
- Late
- Falling BP, weak thready pulse, altered mental status
- Care
- Control bleeding · supine · insulate above AND below · O₂ · NPO · rapid transport
START Triage
30 seconds per patient at an MCI
- Walks
- → Minor (green), send to collection point
- No breathing after airway opened
- → Deceased/expectant (black)
- RR > 30
- → Immediate (red)
- No radial pulse / cap refill > 2s
- → Immediate (red)
- Can't follow commands
- → Immediate (red)
- Everyone else
- → Delayed (yellow)
Hypothermia Stages
Core temp below 95°F / 35°C
- Mild
- Shivering, clumsiness, poor judgment, withdrawn
- Moderate
- Shivering slows/stops, confusion, slurred speech
- Severe
- Unresponsive, slow pulse/breathing — handle GENTLY
- Care
- Shelter · remove wet layers · insulate + vapor barrier · warm sweet drinks only if fully alert
RICES
Sprains, strains, and soft-tissue care
- R
- Rest
- I
- Ice (barrier between ice and skin)
- C
- Compression
- E
- Elevation
- S
- Splinting / support
Handoff Report
Under a minute, every time
- 1
- Age, sex, chief complaint
- 2
- Mechanism of injury / history of illness
- 3
- Findings and level of responsiveness
- 4
- Vital signs — with trends
- 5
- Care given and patient response