They Did What? **This post is for viewers’ discretion PG13+

What the gang from Seinfield got right, and then what they got wrong (so, so many things).

But what they did correctly was

1. Ask if anybody needs first aid—early sending for help is the first link in the Chain of Survival. In the background, you can hear an ambulance on its way, and Elaine has asked if anybody knows first aid, which happened within the 1:24 minutes of screen time.
2. You hear Kramer ask, “What happened here?” Finding out what events led to a person sustaining an injury is actually a great start to determining the history of events. If you are able to determine what led to the patient’s unconsciousness, then the events leading up to it may indicate what could have caused the person to deteriorate.
3. Considered his dignity – Elaine states “careful, you’re getting crumbs all over him”. Although this show is obviously hilarious, a patients’ dignity is no laughing matter. When someone is unconscious or in a vulnerable state it is the first aiders’ ethical and moral responsibility to maintain that persons’ dignity as much as possible. Privacy is often overlooked at times when the first aider is stressed and overwhelmed, so ensure as best as you can that you can improvise methods to maintain respect at all times when treating someone.

What they did wrong:

1. Created an airway obstruction. Never, ever attempt to shove a cookie in an unresponsive patients mouth – if you’re unsure why, we have another blog post addressing this but essentially you could cause a blockage and they may not be able to breath.
2. There was no addressing the patients response, airway or breathing. It can be assumed that because this apartment belongs to the people attempting to provide care that danger may have been considered first, however if you are responding to an unknown environment/patient then this is your first priority.
3. Considered raising the extremities. Previously you may have heard/been taught to raise the legs in first aid to treat shock, however this is not part of the ARC guidelines and should no longer be taught to First Aiders.
4. Attempted to move the patient unnecessarily. At one point Kramer attempts to get him up and walking. If a patient is unresponsive, then it is best to follow the first aid protocols and roll him into the recovery position to provide support and keep the airway clear. Aside from the fact that he wouldn’t have been able to get up and walking, it is ergonomically not sound – don’t put your own health risk and injure your back in the pursuit of providing first aid.
5. Diabetics don’t always need the sugar – sometimes they have too much sugar on board. Unless you have the qualifications or scope to treat this, then it is best to only give first aid within your training.

We would like to thank and formally acknowledge that this video belongs to Jerry Seinfield and in no way does First Class First Aid take credit for it.