*Secondary Survey 2024 – child video (17214) video added

Once you have dealt with any life-threatening conditions, you can move on to the Secondary Survey.

This is a way of checking for injuries or illnesses by gathering information and examining the casualty from head to toe.

If they are conscious, remember to reassure them and talk to them as you do this.

Your aim is to find out about the casualty's history, signs and symptoms:

What happened in the moments leading up to the injury or illness and is there any relevant medical history?
Are there any signs or symptoms that will help you decide what first aid treatment is required?

A checklist of what to cover in a head to toe survey can be viewed here: Checklist

Watch the video below

Transcript

Event History

Find out as much as you can about the mechanism of injury; for example, if the casualty fell from a height, how far did they fall?

Previous Medical History

This can provide important information about the cause of the first aid incident. For example:

Is the casualty wearing a medical alert bracelet?
Do they have medication with them which may indicate a medical condition, such as epilepsy, diabetes or risk of anaphylaxis?
If they are on medication, find out when they last took it.
Check when they last had something to eat or drink.

All this information will provide important clues as to what help they need.