First Aid Merit Badge

Requirements for the First Aid merit badge:

1. Satisfy your counselor that you have current knowledge of all first-aid requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks.
2. Explain how you would obtain emergency medical assistance from:
   1. Your home
   2. A remote location on a wilderness camping trip
   3. An activity on open water
3. Define the term triage. Explain the steps necessary to assess and handle a medical emergency until help arrives
4. Explain the universal precautions as applied to the transmission of infections. Discuss the ways you should protect yourself and the victim while administering first aid.
5. Prepare a first-aid kit for your home. Display and discuss its contents with your counselor.
6. Describe the early signs and symptoms of each of the following and explain what actions you should take:
   1. Shock
   2. Heart attack
   3. Stroke
7. Do the following:
   1. Describe the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person. Then demonstrate proper CPR technique using a training device approved by your counselor.
   2. Explain the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Identify the location of the AED at your school, place of worship, and troop meeting place, if one is present.
8. Show the steps that need to be taken for someone suffering from a severe cut on the leg and on the wrist. Tell the dangers in the use of a tourniquet and the conditions under which its use is justified.
9. Explain when a bee sting could be life threatening and what action should be taken for prevention and for first aid.
10. Describe the signs and symptoms and demonstrate the proper procedures for handling and immobilizing suspected closed and open fractures or dislocations
    of the:
    1. Forearm
    2. Wrist
    3. Upper leg
    4. Lower leg
    5. Ankle
11. Describe the signs, symptoms, and possible complications and demonstrate care for someone with a suspected injury to the head, neck, or back.
12. Describe the symptoms, proper first-aid procedures, and possible prevention measures for the following conditions:
    1. Anaphylaxis/allergic reactions
    2. Bruises
    3. Sprains or strains
    4. Hypothermia
    5. Frostbite
    6. Burns - first, second, and third degree
    7. Convulsions/seizures
    8. Dehydration
    9. Muscle cramps
    10. Heat exhaustion
    11. Heat stroke
    12. Abdominal pain
    13. Broken, chipped, or loosened tooth
13. Do the following:
    1. Describe the conditions under which an injured person should be moved.
    2. If a sick or an injured person must be moved, tell how you would determine the best method. Demonstrate this method.
    3. With helpers under your supervision, improvise a stretcher and move a presumably unconscious person.
14. Teach another Scout a first-aid skill selected by your counselor.