Well, here it is. The definitive guide to how *not* to make the Scooby Gang come across as just a bunch of average kids. They may try to remain ordinary, but you can bet your bottom dollar that, like Buffy, they go home to think about "ambush tactics. Beheading." And, of course, how to take care of each other if things should go wrong. I mean, if Xander hadn't paid attention during the first aid course, we wouldn't have a Slayer now. *g*

A - AIRWAY - is it open, or is it blocked by the person's tongue, blood, vomit (ewww, yes, but entirely possible), etc?
B- BREATHING - Listen for breathing by placing the ear over the mouth. Check to see if the chest is moving up and down in inhalation and exhalation. Also, a polished surface can be held over the mouth / nose to check if there is any breathing.
C - CIRCULATION - does the person have a pulse (if not, and they're moving around, now might be a good time to get your hands on a stake)? Is the person bleeding externally? You can check skin color and temperature for additional indications of circulation problems.

If the person doesn't appear to have a head or spinal injury, they can be moved into the recovery position - on their side (where, if they vomit, they don't choke), allowing the chest maximum breathing capacity. If they are bleeding from the head / neck / anywhere *North*, they would *not* be moved. I've given up on the number of fics I've read where someone (invariably Xander or possibly Willow) gets hit on the head, bleeds a lot, and is promptly picked up and cradled and generally *moved about* a lot. If said person had a serious head injury, they'd die instantly from the trauma. And the rest of the Scooby Gang would know this.

Okay, you've checked that they're not bleeding from the head, and their neck isn't bent at an odd angle. They're breathing, and they have a pulse. All well and good. Now, the person has to be protected from shock before they die on you. No, it's not 'fright' or 'surprise' - shock is when the blood pressure (pressure exerted against blood vessel walls) drops and the organs do not receive enough blood, depriving them of oxygen and nutrients. The symptoms include anxiety or restlessness (if the person is awake / conscious); pale, cool, clammy skin; a weak but rapid pulse; shallow breathing; bluish lips; and nausea.

The symptoms may not become apparently immediately, as shock can develop several hours after the attack / accident. Measures would be taken to prevent shock occuring - the victim would be covered with blankets or warm clothes to maintain a normal body temperature. Their feet would also be elevated, but nothing should be administered by mouth, because of the danger of abdominal injuries (not to mention the nausea. Nausea is bad if you are trying to administer any medication orally).

Made immortal by Fox Mulder's predicted death ( auto-erotic asphyxiation... what are the odds we'll actually get to see that?! ), asphyxiation is a very real danger for quite a large number of the Scooby Gang. Vampires and assorted demons regularly try to strangle Buffy; Oz could very likely become entangled in his own chains, and how many times has Willy the Snitch been picked up by his neck? I'd quit that line of work if I was him...

In any case, asphyxiation simply means that the brain is not getting enough oxygen. This may result from suffocation, drowning, strangulation (similar to suffocation, but with a lot more bruising), gas poisoning (cf. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight"), electrocution, choking and an overdose of drugs (narcotics). Any and all of these would require *immediate* medical attention - for most people brain death occurs within four to six minutes after breathing ceases. So, if Buffy was dead for "only [..] a minute!", that means she would have had, at best, another minute before brain damage occurred.

Symptoms of asphyxiation include bluish skin, an unability to speak and collapse or unconsciousness. If the person is choking, the Heimlich maneuver can be used to clear the windpipe. For those unfamiliar to it, the helper hugs the person from behind and applies several quick thrusts to the choker's abdomen, hopefully dislodging the trapped object. This maneuver would *never* be used on a small child.

The other alternative, which applies to the other causes of asphyxiation, is mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. This is relatively simple - the task of breathing is taken over by someone else. Things to remember are that the mouth and nose would always be checked for foreign objcects, and that the nose is pinched shut when breathing into the mouth. If the mouth is blocked, the *mouth* is pinched shut, and the artificial respiration takes places through the nose (no matter how icky it sounds).

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This procedure would not be attempted by anyone inexperienced (nor should it be!). CPR must be provided when the heart has stopped - i.e. the person has suffered cardiac arrest. Action must be taken immediately because, as with asphyxiation, the brain will starve and die within minutes. Symptoms of this include pain or pressure behind the breastbone, in the arms, neck, or shoulder; anxiety and a feeling of impending doom; difficulty breathing; heavy perspiration; weakness; nausea; and loss of consciousness.

Most people are aware of the classic 'beat on their chest' version of fiction CPR, and I feel that that is enough. *g* Yes, go ahead and lynch me, but to describe it would simply be too medical, and people would turn to the 'beating on the chest' solution. Just something to remember - they wouldn't lean ont heir fingers. That would lessen the blow. ;-)

A more or less everyday occurance amongst the Scooby Gang. Several points to note: a spurt of bright red blood means an injury to an artery; a slow welling of dark crimson blood means injury to a vein. If a major artery has been ruptured, a person can bleed to death in less than a minute. Even if just a vein is opened, death there isn't a lot of time. The bleeding must be stopped as swiftly as possible.

To stop bleeding - apply pressure over the wound itself and elevate the affected limb if possible. Bandage a sterile dressing or cloth over the wound, then add to the bandages when they become saturated (they would not be removed). If the bleeding cannot be stopped with the bandages, the presure points next to the wound (where the blood is coming from) can be pressed, to try and stop the bleeding (hence the expression "press here" on various cop / hospital shows on tv).

I'm going to skip this one, as I'm not sure it would be useful to anyone. If people would like me to cover it, please email me and state your case. ;-)

If it involves holy water or crosses, it's gonna sting. The degree of 'stinginess' is the question at hand. A first-degree burn is superficial and only affects the top layer of the skin. It's characterised by reddening. A second-degree burn goes down beyond the surface of the skin and causes blistering and severe pain. It'd say that a cross would have this affect, if the contact is sufficiently brief. A third-degree burn destroys the cell-producing layer of the skin and causes charring (i.e. Spike's injuries after "What's My LIne? Pt 2"). I'm thinking - a vampire dumped in a pot of holy water might have a similar effect...

To treat a burn, you'd first remove the source of burning (duh). Then, the wound should be cleaned with cold water (this should also numb the area a bit). A sterile damp towel may be used to protect the wound from infection by acting as a dressing (I'm thinking of household items, here, rather than hospital articles). If the burn is a chemical one, any dressing should be steile and *dry*. Wet items or ointments should not be placed against the burn. If more than 10% of the person's body is covered in 3rd degree burns, the person should be hospitalised immediately.

These will not be covered also. The rules to those are pretty self-evident; if you feel that they *should* be covered, contact me.

If there is a head wound evident, no pressure should be applied to it, as this may damage the brain. The airways must be cleared of vomit (this is very common in head injuries, so think long and hard before using this in a happy fun ewwww-less fic), and if the person has had a seizure, the head must be surrounded by cushiosn to prevent movement and hence further injury.

A sprain is the tearing or painful stretching of the ligaments, and occurs when a bone is suddenly wrenched at a joint (e.g. in a hard fall, twisting the ankle underneath you). A fracture is an actual break or crack in the bone. Swelling is present in both cases, but if the limb cannot be moved, or *looks* wrong, then it's usually a fracture (a quick test to see if you've broken your finger - extend it. Fold it. Extend it again. If you can do that, you haven't broken it.). The only way to deal with these situations is *not* to move the person, as this would result in intense pain (and, if the break is in the spinal column, permanent paralysis or instant death).

The only instance where a broken limb should be moved is where the limb has also been cut open, and is bleeding severely. In that case, the limb should be elevated, and a split should be tied around it (over the dressing).

If there are any more topics you want to be covered, please email me and tell me so! I'll do my best to help out. ;-)