First Aid Basics

First Aid Definition

• First aid is the immediate care or treatment given to a casualty who is injured or suddenly taken ill, using available resources before the arrival of an ambulance or qualified medical expert.

Aims of First Aid

• To save or preserve life
• To prevent further illness or injuries from becoming worse
• To promote recovery
• To relieve pain as far as possible
• To arrange for medical attention for the patient in a hospital

Characteristics of a First Aider

• Must be smart and quick
• Must be sympathetic and understanding
• Must have necessary knowledge and be resourceful
• Must be gentle and not cause pain
• Must be tactful and not alarm the casualty
• Must be able to act quickly and improvise
• Must have common sense
• Must appreciate that sometimes the less interference, the better
• Must be observant and note all signs and symptoms
• Must be courageous

Responsibilities of a First Aider

• To assess the situation without endangering self or casualty
• To assess the casualties (major and minor conditions, people involved, general condition, emergencies, complications, or serious injuries)
• To identify emergency priorities (interference with breathing, severe hemorrhage, vomiting blood, cardiac arrest, unconsciousness, victim with seizures or pain in the abdomen)
• To arrange for transportation without delay to a hospital
• To send for help and provide information to the ambulance or police

Scope of First Aid

• Assessment/Diagnosis: assessment of the situation to determine the urgent case to be attended to
• Treatment: care to be given in urgent situations before medical aid arrives
• Disposal: sending the casualty to a safer environment and then to the hospital

Action to Take During an Emergency

• Work with a clear plan during emergency
• Control your feelings and take a moment to think
• Do not place yourself in danger
• Use common sense
• Do not attempt too much alone
• Beware of potential dangers
• Use your eyes, ears, and nose to look for clues
• Assess the situation and determine if the scene is safe
• Make the area safe and evacuate the casualty or move the casualty if possible
• Give emergency help and get help, send or call for help

General Principles/Rules of First Aid

• Remove the casualty from danger or remove further danger from the casualty
• Treat the most urgent condition first in order of precedence (apparent cessation of breathing, severe hemorrhage, shock, unconscious casualties)
• Do not give anything by mouth to unconscious casualties
• Call for help when necessary
• Reassure the casualty to give them confidence
• Write messages simply to avoid misinterpretation of information
• Never apply treatment you have not been taught
• Do not give alcoholic stimulants to the casualty
• Organize unskilled onlookers to assist in any way possible
• Control bystanders and onlookers by sending them away from the casualty
• Avoid further injury by handling the casualty properly
• If suspected fracture, support the limb or part most carefully
• Do not lift the casualty unless there are sufficient helpers

Conditions that Often Require First Aid

• Altitude sickness
• Anaphylaxis
• Bone fracture
• Burns
• Cardiac arrest
• Choking
• Childbirth
• Cramps in muscles
• Diving disorders, drowning, or asphyxiation
• Gender-specific conditions (dysmenorrhea, testicular torsion)
• Heart attack
• Heat stroke/heat syncope
• Unconsciousness for more than two hours

Examination of the Casualty

• Record rate, depth, and nature of respiration
• Check for foreign bodies in the mouth, eyes, and wounds
• Check for any medical alert or talisman that may contain certain information
• Loosen tight clothing around the neck and chest
• Look for any injuries or irregularities on the skin
• Run your finger gently along the spine to detect irregularities
• Ask the casualty to breathe deeply and note whether the chest expands evenly
• Feel the collar bones and shoulders for any deformity
• Check movements in the elbow, wrist, and fingers
• Take pulse at the wrist
• Gently feel the front of the abdomen for bleeding and identify rigidity and tenderness
• Feel both sides of the hips for any fracture or incontinence
• Ask the casualty to raise their legs in turns and move their ankle and knee
• Look and feel for bleeding, swelling, deformity, or tenderness in the legs
• Check for movement and feeling in all toes