The goal of first aid is to save life, to prevent an injury or illness from worsening, or to help speed recovery. First aid for choking Choking Maneuvers to relieve choking are frequently life saving. Adults most often choke on a piece of food, such as a large piece of meat. Infants do not have well-developed swallowing reflexes and... read more , internal bleeding Internal Bleeding Heavy internal bleeding may occur in the abdominal cavity, chest cavity, digestive tract, or tissues surrounding large bones, such as the thighbone (femur) and pelvis, that are broken. Initially... read more , minor wounds Wounds Cuts or tears in tissue (lacerations), scrapes (abrasions), and puncture wounds can be caused by bites or by other mechanisms. Wounds that are not caused by bites and are clean and relatively... read more , and minor soft tissue injuries Soft-Tissue Injuries Soft-tissue injuries include bumps and bruises (contusions) and small tears of muscles (strains) or of ligaments and tendons near joints (sprains)—see also Overview of Sprains and Other Soft-Tissue... read more is discussed in this chapter. Other chapters discuss first aid for the following:
