Chapter 1 First Aid - PDF

**CRIM PE 3 (FIRST AID AND WATER SAFETY)** **MODULE 1** ***CHAPTER 1 (First Aid)*** ***Introduction*** ***At any moment, you or someone around you could experience an injury or illness. Using basic first aid, you may be able to stop a minor mishap from getting worse. In the case of a serious med...

**CRIM PE 3 (FIRST AID AND WATER SAFETY)** **MODULE 1** ***CHAPTER 1 (First Aid)*** ***Introduction*** ***At any moment, you or someone around you could experience an injury or illness. Using basic first aid, you may be able to stop a minor mishap from getting worse. In the case of a serious medical emergency, you may even save a life.*** ***Learning outcome:*** **At the end of the topic, the students will be able to:** a. Define First Aid b. Identify the three basic Objectives of First Aid c. Discuss the different aims and objectives of First Aid d. Enumerate the different characteristics of firs aided e. Enumerate the general guidelines in Administering first aid ***Learning content*** It contains readings, selection and discussion questions and sets of activities that students can work on individually or by group. a\. Definition and Concept of First Aid b\. Three Basic Objectives of First Aid c\. Aims and Objective of First Aid d\. Characteristics of a Good First Aider e\. General Guidelines in Administering Aid A. ***Concept of First Aid*** - ***Purpose of First Aid*** ***The primary purpose of giving First Aid is to sustain the life of a person before the arrival of a qualified medical expert, reduce her/his discomfort due to pain, help in early recovery and prevent her/his condition from worsening.*** - **Definition of First Aid** - First Aid is the first response or treatment given to someone who has been injured. It is administered before they are transferred to proper medical care. - First Aid when you provide basic medical care to someone experiencing a sudden injury or illness, it's known as first aid. - First aid is emergency care given immediately to an injured person. The purpose of first aid is to minimize injury and future disability. In serious cases, first aid may be necessary to keep the victim alive. - First Aid basic medical treatment that is given to someone as soon as possible after they have been hurt in an accident or suddenly become ill. - "First aid is emergency care given immediately to an injured person. The purpose of first aid is to minimize injury and future disability." - "The initial process of assessing and addressing the needs of someone who has been injured or is in physiological distress." - **Rules of First Aid** A. **[Check:]** Find out what has happened and what is wrong with the person. Comfort the person and arrange for a shelter. B. **[Call:]** Arrange for a professional medical aid. C. **[Care:]** Help the victim, preferably without moving her/him. BUT, if the victims life is in danger ypou should take him/her out of that area to prevent further disability. - **Health Emergency** **[Health emergency]** - is a situation, wherein there is a danger or risk to the health of a person because of sudden illness or accident, and immediate help is required to save a life. Immediate attention and First Aid must be provided to the person in case of an emergency before medical help arrives. The various situations that require immediate medical care are --- electric shock, breathing difficulty, burns, bleeding, injury, fracture, heart attack, etc. - **Human Body** Various parts of the human body work together simultaneously to perform a number of tasks. The body by adulthood consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life. These cells are organised in a systematic manner to form the whole body, having various body systems. A newborn has over 300 bones at the time of birth, whereas, an adult has 206 bones. The body includes various systems, such as musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, integumentary, urinary, lymphatic, immune, respiratory and reproductive. We will now understand two vital aspects of life from the point of First Aid. - **Breathing** Breathing is vital for life. A person breathes about 20,000 times a day. The breathing process is carried out by the respiratory system, which includes nose, throat, voice box, windpipe and lungs. We inhale air through the nose - **Blood Circulations** Blood consists of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets suspended in viscous medium.n The heart, the main pumping organ of the circulatory system, is made of muscles. It is located between the two lungs slightly inclined towards the left. The pointed tip at the bottom of the heart touches the front wall of the chest each time the heart beats, producing a sound. You can also listen to heartbeats. When the heart contracts, it pushes blood out into two major loops or cycles --- systemic loop and pulmonary loop. - **Health and Safety** The probability of a person to experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard is considered as a risk factor at work. Let us now learn about the various types of hazards and their causes. This will help us to identify the various hazards that one may encounter at a workplace. - **Types of Hazards** 1. **[Biological -]** Biological hazards are caused by living organisms, like bacteria, viruses, insects, plants, birds, animals, humans, etc. 2. **[Chemical -]** Chemical hazards include those caused by acids, poisons, cleaning agents, etc. These depend on the physical and toxic properties of a chemical. The severity of a hazard depends on the toxic properties of the chemical. 3. **[Radiation]** - Radiation hazards are related to exposure to radiations from radioactive substances. 4. **[Ergonomic Ergonomic hazards]** - are caused due to same posture and movements for a long time, improper layout of workstation (e.g., computer workstation, workstation for repair of electrical gadgets, etc.), faulty chairs, tools and equipment, etc. Wrong postures also cause fatigue, back pain, and discomfort in shoulders and lower limbs. 5. **[Physical -]** These hazards are caused due to slippery surfaces, falling objects, manual handling (lifting, pushing, carrying), sharp tools and equipment, radiation, magnetic fields, extreme pressure (high pressure or vacuum), excessive loud and prolonged noise, and bullying (abnormal, repeated behaviour directed against a worker or group of workers, causing health and safety risk). These may cause stress, depression, loss of self-esteem, feeling of guilt, phobias, sleeping and eating disorders, etc. 6. **[Psychosocial -]** Psychosocial hazards are caused due to violence, excessive pressure or stress at workplace for meeting deadlines, conflicts at workplace, etc. It also include hazards due to discrimination on the grounds of caste, race, skin colour, ethnic origin, sex, religion, etc. 7. **[Safety -]** Safety hazards at a workplace include slipping or tripping, inappropriate machine guarding, collision, bumps, road and fire accidents, equipment malfunctions or breakdown, and electrical accidents (it can cause burns, affecting areas in contact with the current). ***B. Three Basic Objectives of First Aid*** The key guiding principles and purpose of first aid, is often given in the mnemonic **\"3 Ps\".** These three points govern all the actions undertaken by a first aider. 1. **[Preserve life]** -- Stop the casualty from dying. Keep everyone alive. Basic ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) - This involves making sure that the injury is not a life-threatening one for the individual. It also involves calling ambulances as soon as possible and also performing CPR in extreme circumstances. Someone who is trained in first aid should check for vital life signs as well, to see if an injury is life-threatening. These signs include evidence of breathing, movement, responsiveness, heart rate, and any bad external injuries. 2. **[Prevent further worsening]** -- Stop the casualty from getting any worse by treating their injuries. Also managing the incident, to prevent the situation worsening. - To prevent the injuries from getting worse, a first aider should not attempt to move the patient if they are currently bleeding or have suffered a fracture. Not just that, cleaning wounds using antiseptics will prevent infection and any other problems down the line. If there are fractures, do keep the body part still and make use of something that is soft to pad the area. Get rid of any risk factors that can make the injury worse. 3. **[Promote recovery]** -- Try to help the person feel better by talking to them and supporting them emotionally. **Other objectives of first aid:** 4. **[Relieve Pain -]** First aid is there to reduce suffering for the patient, by making sure they are as comfortable as possible. This can involve giving them pain medication, elevating wounds, as well as ice packs. 5. **[Aid Recovery -]** First aid helps a person heal their wounds, both in the short term and long term. Aiding recovery involves putting pressure on a bleed and wound bandages. Pressure is needed to stem the flow of blood, so you have to get the patient to put their hand on the bleeding area while you prepare other aids. If the patient cannot do this because of the injury, then the first aider should do it for them. On top of that, advise the person what they can do when they go home, such as changing the bandages daily to prevent infection. 6. **[Protect the Unconscious]** -Unconscious persons are vulnerable and require more protection. Start off by identifying and clearing away any potential hazards from the person. This is to avoid greater harm to the unconscious person and prevent harm to the first aider. Then, check for the important vital signs. If you don't hear a heartbeat, you may need to start CPR. If you don't think the person has a spinal injury, then place the person in the recovery position which involves lying the person on one side and making use of the arm to support their head. **C. Aims and Objective of First Aid** What were theaims and objectives ofthefirst aid exercise? Or better still, what purpose did it serve on the victims? There must have been a reason for every decision and action that you undertook in that exercise. 1. **First aid exercise in Preservation of life** Preservation of life is the most significant aspect of a first aid exercise. We need air to survive and to live. The circulation of air in the body helps in the preservation of life. Providers of first aid look at the circulation of air in the body and clean any blocked airways. When the air way is blocked, brain damage occurs in about four minutes -- dangerous isn't it? 2. **First aid exercise in Prevention of illness or injury from worsening** Illnesses and injuries can easily spread when prevention measures are not undertaken. First aid helps in containing wounds and injuries sustained in the body and enables prevention of further illnesses resulting from the injuries or wounds. First aid measures ensure that illnesses or injuries do not worsen. This is also a principle in the practice of medicine; the principle of beneficence. 3. **First aid exercise in Promoting Recovery** For every wound or injury sustained in the body, there is a prescribed first aid exercise. Depending on the nature and the extent of the sustained injury or wound, first aid attempts to promote recovery. Promotion of recovery includes attempts to dry up the wounds or avoiding its further spread. Also, in case of bleeding, it serves to stop the bleeding and the subsequent loss of blood that might result into loss of life. **D. Characteristics of a Good First Aider** St John Ambulance outline seven responsibilities of a first aider: 1. Assess the situation quickly and calmly to get an understanding of what happened. This involves determining whether anyone is in danger, the cause of the situation, and how many people are affected. 2. Comfort, reassure, stay calm and take charge. You should introduce yourself to the casualty, explain what's happening and why, and explain what you're going to do before you do it. 3. Protect yourself and the casualty from any danger. You should always protect yourself first and only move the casualty if leaving them would cause more harm. If you are unable to make an area safe, call 999 for emergency help. 4. Prevent infection between you and them. You should wash your hands or use hand sanitiser, wear disposable gloves, and not cough or sneeze over a casualty. 5. Assess the casualty. If there are multiple casualties, you must help those with life-threatening injuries or conditions first. 6. Give first aid treatment, such as CPR or applying pressure to bleeding wounds. Life-threatening injuries and conditions must be prioritised before giving treatment to less serious cases. 7. Arrange for the right kind of help. Call 999 for an ambulance if it's serious, or take/send them to a hospital if it's serious but unlikely to get any worse. For less serious conditions, suggest they see a doctor if they are concerned or if the condition worsens. You should always stay with them until you can leave them in the right care. **D. First Aid Kits/ First Aid Room** First aid kits may be kept in cloth bags or plastic or metal boxes. They are often labeled with a symbol such as those on the upper right. A first aid kit may contain many items, but basic items that can help with first aid include: 8. A small **first aid book** which shows how to do first aid and reminds people who have been trained 9. **Adhesive strips** (a small piece of tape with a bit of cloth in the center), special dressings such as moleskin for blisters, and antiseptic creams for small wounds 10. **Tweezers** to remove stingers, splinters and thorns 11. **Pulse oximeter** is a small, non-invasive, and portable device that helps measure a patient\'s oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate. 12. **Instant Cold Compresses** temporarily relieve minor pain and swelling for sprains, aches and sore joints. 13. **Elastic bandages** is a compression bandage which is a long strip of stretchable cloth that you wrap around a sprain or strain to apply gentle pressure. 14. A **thermometer** is an instrument that measures temperature. 15. **Cotton balls** have multiple uses in the medical field including cleaning out wounds with hydrogen peroxide or iodine, applying antiseptics or topical ointments, cleaning minor cuts and skin irritations, and stopping blood after an injection is given or blood withdraw 16. **Safety Pins** are useful for securing bandages and slings and are strong and durable temporary measures for holding together fabric 17. Other materials: **Alcohol, Betadine, Antibacterial creams, cool sprays** - **First Aid Room** - **Drug for Common Ailements** There are a number of common ailments from which people may suffer. These ailments are, generally, not serious in nature and can be cured by home remedies or over-the-counter medicines. Many common illnessesare treated at home using non-prescribed medicines. Some ailments are serious in nature and require professional medical attention. Even common cold can become serious, if not treated correctly and timely asm it can advance to other infectious diseases, such as influenza and pneumonia. If ailments persist for few days, the patient must immediately consult a doctor. Some of the drugs, generally, prescribed for common ailments are given in the table below. Ailments Drugs ----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Allergies Cetrizines tablet Headache Saridon, Aspirin (also used for chest pain) Heatburn or acidicity Digene tablet or syrup Nasal Congestion Vaporub for rubbing on nose and chest Cough and cold Tablet fro cough and cold or syrup Fever or flu Paracetamol (also used as general painkiller) Constipation Isabgol Husk (with hot milk or water) Sprains and strains Flexon or Combiflam tablet (used as anti-inflammatory painkiller)n Dehydration Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) **F. General Guidelines in Administering First Aid** 1. **Before administering care to an ill or injured person, check the scene and the person. Size up the scene and form an initial impression.** 2\. **If the Person is awake and Responsive and there is no severe life-threatening bleeding:** **3. If the Person Appears Unresponsive:** **4. If the person is breathing:** \- Proceed with gathering information from bystanders using the SAMPLE questions  \- Conduct a head-to-toe check **5. If the person is NOT breathing:** - **GENERAL CONSIDERATION** The elementary life-saving procedures are head tilt, First Aid at choking and recovery position. Now, let us imagine that a person has met with an accident. The services of priority that the First Aider needs to follow in an emergency situation like this are as follows: Step 1 ***Check for bleeding***. Stop the bleeding by applying direct pressue on the wound ares. Step 2 Step 4 - **FIRST AID PRACTICES** The following the different first aid practices during the emergencies: 1. **[Fever]** Fever is higher than normal human body temperature (normal body temperature is 37° C or 98.6° F). Body temperature is a good indicator of a person's health. Fever is a symptom and not a disease. Fever can be categorised as given below: **[Causes:]** Fever may be caused due to hot weather, bacterial or viral infections, spending too much time under the Sun or allergies due to medication, food or water. **[Symptoms:]** Symptoms may include hot flushed face, nausea, vomiting, head and body ache, constipation and diarrhoea. **[First Aid]**: Monitor the temperature using a digital thermometer. Remove the excess clothing. Keep the person in a cool place, and if required, give a sponge bath in tap water. Give plenty of fluids and prescribed dose of Paracetamol tablet. Taking body temperature: In case of fever, body temperature is measured using a thermometer. Let us now learn how to take the body temperature. **[Step 1: Prepare.]** Wash the tip of the digital thermometer with clean water and wipe it with a clean cloth. Wipe it with a tissue paper after cleaning the surface. This will remove germs on the surface. **[Step 2: Switch on.]** Check the power button by switching on the digital thermometer to ensure that it is working. The LCD screen must read '0'. If the screen remains blank, replace the battery. Read the instructions given in the manual to replace the battery. Use the thermometer when the initial reading is correct. **[Step 3: Position.]** Place the thermometer in the mouth of the person by putting its tip at the centre at the back of the tongue before asking the patient to close the lips around it to hold it. **[Step 4: Take temperature]**. Press the button to make the appliance read the temperature. This can take few minutes. Remove the thermometer from the person's mouth and read the temperature. **[Step 5: Store.]** After you have finished using the thermometer, switch it off and clean the tip with water and wipe it with a tissue paper or dry cloth. Keep the thermometer in its protective case and store it at a safe place, away from the reach of children. 2. **Heatstroke** Heatstroke is a severe heat-related condition and can even be life-threatening. It is caused when the body's cooling mechanism fails due to excessive heat and humidity. Impairment in sweat gland function may b another cause of heatstroke. **[Symptoms:]** In heatstroke, the body temperature is more than 104° F. Fever may cause headache, dizziness, fatigue, fluctuating blood pressure and irritability. **[First Aid:]** Shift the person to a cool place. Cool the person by sponging her/him with a wet towel. Apply ice packs in armpits and groin. Give lukewarm water with electrolyte. 3. **Backpain** Back pain is acute pain in the back of the body. The pain, generally, persists for a short duration. It indicates that the body is under stress. It is caused due to problems in bones, ligaments and muscles of spine and nerves. **[Triggering factors.]** Back pain may be aggravated because of poor posture, inappropriate footwear; incorrect walking habit; prolonged sitting; sleeping on soft mattresses; kidney, bladder prostate disorders; constipation, stress, etc. **[First Aid:]** Massage with hot or cold packs and use painkillers or relaxants for pain relief. 4. **Asthma** Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes the airways to tighten and become narrow, causing difficulty in breathing. **[Symptoms:]** The symptoms may include wheezing, cough and cold, tightness in the chest, sticky mucus, disturbed sleep and breathlessness. **[Causes:]** It is believed that heredity factors are the main cause of asthma. Environmental factors, like dust, mite, pollen and occupational exposure to irritants also aggravate asthma. Cold, viruses, smoking, scent, pollution, change in weather conditions, etc., are also the triggering factors. **[First Aid:]** In case of asthmatic attack, use asthma inhalers. Asthma inhalers are hand-held portable devices that supply medication to the lungs. These help in controlling asthma symptoms in adults and children. 5. **Food-borne illness** Food-borne illnesses occur by consuming unhygienic foods and water. Bacteria are the common cause of food contamination. **Symptoms:** The common symptoms include diarrhoea, which may be bloody, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, fever, dehydration, shallow breath, rapid pulse, pale skin and chest pain. **[First Aid:]** Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) should be given with lukewarm water. In severe cases, the patient needs immediate hospitalisation. Method for making 1 litre ORS solution using sugar, salt and water: Drinking water:1 litre (5 cups, each containing about 200 ml) Sugar: Six teaspoons Salt: Half a teaspoon Stir the mixture till the sugar dissolve ***Learning Task 1*** ***Instructions. Explain the following briefly. (25 pts each)*** 1. ***What is the purpose of First Aid?*** 2. ***State the principles of First Aid?*** 3. ***What is a helth emergency? Describe various emergency situations.*** 4. ***Explain the rules of First Aid.***