First Aid Basics Quiz

Health 9 - Quarter 3: Emergency Procedures and First Aid

• Emergency Situations: Students should be prepared to respond to scenarios such as a person hit by a car, a teacher having a heart attack, a mother touching a hot pan, and a baby swallowing a toy.

First Aid

• Definition: Immediate, temporary care for a person who suddenly becomes ill or injured. It includes self-help and home care if professional medical help isn't immediately available or if there's a delay.

Roles of First Aid

• Bridge: Connects the victim with medical personnel, filling the gap between those roles.
• Limited Scope: Primarily meant as initial help, not meant to replace physician services.
• Time Limit: Ends when professional medical help begins.

Objectives of First Aid

• Save Lives: The most important objective is safeguarding the victim's life.
• Prolong Life: Sustaining life through emergency procedures.
• Alleviate Suffering: Minimizing pain and discomfort during the emergency.
• Prevent Further Injury: Stopping the progression of complications through proper care.

Characteristics of a Good First Aider

• Gentle: Does not inflict more pain or panic.
• Observant: Recognizes all signs of injury or illness.
• Resourceful: Makes suitable use of available resources.
• Tactful: Does not frighten the victim.
• Sympathetic: Comforts and ensures the victim feels supported.

Principles of First Aid: Do's and Don'ts

• Do's:*
• Maintain calm demeanor.
• Reassure and comfort the victim.
• Check for medical alert bracelets to understand any underlying health conditions.
• Cover the victim to minimize shock.
• Don'ts:*
• Do not give food or drink to an unconscious person.
• Do not move an injured person unless necessary for their safety or to put them in the recovery position.

Top 10 Emergency Procedures

1. Call for help: Urgent initial step.
2. Survey the scene: Assess the situation.
3. Determine the severity: Decide what medical help is appropriate.
4. Initiate CPR (if applicable): If CPR training and need is present then act quickly.
5. Control bleeding: If bleeding occurs stop it as quickly as possible.
6. Treat for shock: Address any shock symptoms.
7. Check for medical alert tags: Look for any signs/tags relevant to the victim's health/allergies.
8. Get trained medical help: Contact professionals.
9. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious victim.
10. Wait for medical help: Let trained personnel handle the situation.

Primary and Secondary Surverys

• Primary Survey: Focused on unconscious victims, assessing life-threatening issues (consciousness, circulation, airway, breathing).
• Secondary Survey: Conducted when the victim is conscious/revived, covers a detailed examination of the condition, history, vital signs and head-to-toe checks.

First Aid for Common Unintentional Injuries

• Musculoskeletal Injuries: Damage to the muscles or skeleton often result from strenuous activities.
• Sprains: stretched or torn ligaments around joints. First aid involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE).
• Fractures: Bone breaks. Initial aid involves covering the wound, securing the dressing, immobilizing the injured area, and transporting to medical assistance.
• Strains: Overstretching/pulling a muscle or tendon beyond its normal capacity. Immediate care includes resting the injured area, applying cold/ice, seeking medical assistance.
• Dislocations: Separation of a bone end from a joint, leaving the bone out of proper position. Immobilize the area and transport to medical care. (Use RICE method).
• Heat Emergencies: Injuries from hot weather/extreme heat.
• Heat Cramps: Muscle spasms due to electrolyte loss/intense sweating. Address this through cool rest, fluid intake, and avoiding further activities until a sufficient recovery time has passed.
• Heat Exhaustion: Excessive water and salt loss through sweating. First aid involves moving the victim to a cool area, elevating legs, providing fluids, and immediate medical attention (if necessary).
• Heat Stroke: A life-threatening condition from excessive heat. Cool the affected area using water/cool air, establish breathing support, and urgent medical intervention.
• Bleeding: Hemorrhage from blood vessels being damaged. Control bleeding using direct pressure, elevating the injured area, laying down the victim, and arranging for medical intervention.
• Poisoning: Exposure to poison or toxic substances. Assess the type of poisoning. Seek immediate medical assistance.
• Swallowed poisoning: Monitor vital signs, call for help, determine what was swallowed and how much.
• Injected poisoning: Protect from further injection, seek medical assistance immediately.
• Absorbed poisoning: Remove contaminated clothing, wash with cold water, seek medical attention.
• Inhaled poisoning: Move victim to fresh air, contact medical help.
• Choking: Inability to breathe due to an obstruction in the airway. Do abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
• Drowning: Submersion and suffocation in water. Rescue and help the victim to recover water from the lungs. Protect the victim, address hypothermia, and get emergency medical assistance.
• Heart Attack: Death of part of the heart muscle. Call emergency services, place the victim comfortably, and monitor their condition.
• Burns: Damaged skin due to burning. Cool the burn with plentiful cold water/ice, do not touch the injury, cover and protect from infection.

Bandaging

• Purpose: Apply pressure to bleeding wounds; cover wounds and burns; and provide support/immobilization for bone, muscle, and tendon injuries. Includes: Gauze, triangular, elastic, and tubular bandages.

Carrying and Transport

• Various methods for transporting victims include: one-person carries/drags, two-person carries, three-person carries, and multiple-person carries. Individual methods for transporting vary dependent on the specific type of transfer.