First Aid Basics

First Aid Overview

• First Aid is the help given to a person who is hurt or sick to keep them alive and prevent their condition from getting worse.
• It involves knowing when to call qualified aid (doctor, nurse, health center, ambulance) and taking temporary measures to stabilize the person.

The First Aider

• Must know their responsibilities in case of injury or sudden illness.
• Must contact qualified aid as soon as possible.
• Must know exactly what to do in an emergency situation.
• Must work in a calm and skillful way.

General Directions

• Every injury and illness are different, but the first aider can learn the necessary actions to take.

How to Take Charge at an Accident

• Keep calm and get others to help by giving clear orders.
• Send for the police and call qualified aid if necessary.
• Keep crowds away to create space to work.

Protecting the Casualty

• Understand the dangers to the casualty and yourself.
• Check for surroundings that may be dangerous, such as live electricity or traffic.
• Ask the casualty not to move and examine them.
• Reassure the casualty and talk to them.
• If the casualty is unconscious, test for breathing and put them in the recovery position.

Wounds and Dressings

• A wound is a break in the skin, usually caused by an accident or disease.
• Wounds cause pain, lead to loss of blood, and can become infected.
• Covering the wound with a clean cloth can reduce these dangers.
• First Aid for a wound involves:
  • Washing your hands with soap and water.
  • Cleaning the wound and skin around it with clean water and soap.
  • Covering the wound with a clean cloth.
  • Fastening the cloth firmly.
  • Telling the casualty to keep the wound and bandage dry.
  • Stopping large wounds from moving.
  • Calling qualified aid if necessary.

Dressings

• Used for covering wounds, stopping bleeding, and stopping injured parts from moving.
• The triangular bandage is the best bandage for First Aid.

Head Wounds

• Cover the wound with a clean cloth.
• Put burns in cold water to reduce pain.
• Keep the burned area under water until the pain stops.
• Cover the burn with a clean cloth and fix it gently with a bandage.

First Aid at Road Accidents

• Traffic on roads is increasing, leading to more accidents.
• In an accident, injuries can happen to people outside or inside vehicles.
• Many people die after accidents who might have been saved if they had been given First Aid immediately.
• What to do:
  • Put on warning lights if driving.
  • Send for help, such as police, fire brigade, or ambulance.
  • Use bystanders to divert other traffic.
  • Note the time, place, and position of vehicles and casualties.
  • Turn off the engine of involved vehicles and put on handbrakes.
  • Stop people from smoking.