As an aid provider, one of your most valuable attributes is the ability to conduct a thorough, comprehensive, and complete patient survey. This mostly requires training and experience on your part, knowledge of the patient's medical history and previous conditions (usually only possible with close friends and family members) and the ability to communicate with the patient. An unresponsive person is extremely daunting.

I have been impressed by the frequency of more potentially serious conditions that were far less prominent that an easily treated, readily apparent condition - say an obvious bleeding cut along with swelling and pain in the neck area, potentially indicating spinal fracture, a situation which mandates very careful packaging and transport.

Proper emergency care is far more than having a well stocked FAK, although that is important as well. Before you can treat and use your FAK goodies, you must be able to recognize a potential condition. That is why training is such a critical component of any emergency care situation.

There are people with far more experience that me. Their comments are appreciated.