FIRST AID
Accident is an unfortunate, unexpected and unintentional event resulting into damage or injury. An emergency is a situation requiring urgent assistance. Accidents can occur anywhere and anytime. Time is crucial in these situations, knowing what to do and what not to do in these situations saves the life of an individual. First aid is the first line of action needed during accidents or emergencies that happen at home, offices, schools, and laboratories etc. which require immediate attention before taken to the hospital.
What is first aid?
First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to an injured or sick person before the arrival of full medical attention or before been taken to the hospital. It aims preserving life, preventing further injury and promoting recovery. First aid is generally performed by someone with basic medical training. However, it does not necessarily require any particular equipment or prior knowledge and can involve improvisation with materials available at the time often by untrained people.
Certain skills are considered essential to the provision of first aid and are taught universally. Particularly the “ABCs” of first aid, which focus on critical life-saving intervention, must be rendered before treatment of less serious injuries. ABC stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. Attention must first be brought to the airway to ensure it is clear. Obstruction (choking) is a life-threatening emergency, a first aid attendant would determine adequacy of breathing and provide rescue breathing if necessary. Assessment of circulation is now not usually carried out for patients who are not breathing, with first aiders now trained to go straight to chest compressions (and thus providing artificial circulation) but pulse checks may be done on less serious patients.
How to act in an emergency situation
In case of accidents or in emergencies where there are no trained personnel to help, one can easily save a life in 5minutes. These are what to be done:
1. Make sure the environment is safe for both you and the casualty,
2. Check for life threatening conditions, check the ABCs ( airway, breathing and the circulation) while checking the level of consciousness of the casualty,
3. Stop bleeding immediately; by using a clean cloth and apply pressure,
4. Get others to help,
5. Call for an ambulance,
6. Gently check for other injuries or large wounds, immobilize fractures, and do not move individual unnecessarily.
7. Place casualty in recovery position, in cases of neck or spinal cord fracture; do not move casualty.
8. Check for medical identification tag that may indicate special medical care e.g hypertension,
9. If the casualty is conscious, ask questions like; where pain he/she is feeling pain etc.
10. Stay calm and reassure the casualty until medical attention arrives.
Basic principles of first aid such as knowing the use of adhesive bandage or applying direct pressure on a bleed, are often acquired passively through life experiences. However, to provide effective, life-saving first aid interventions requires instruction and practical training. This is especially true where it relates to potentially fatal illness and injuries, such as those that require CR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation); these procedures may be invasive, and carry a risk of further injury to the patient and the provider. As with any training, it is more useful if it occurs before an actual emergency. Training is generally provided by attending a course, typically leading to certification such as Red Cross.
Qualities of a good first aider
1. Quick thinker
2. Resourceful
3. Composure
4. Skillful
5. Decision maker
6. Efficient
7. Reassuring
8. Sympathetic
First aid kit
A first aid kit is a strong, durable bag which is commonly identified with a white cross on a green background that contains a collection of supplies and equipment used to give medical treatment. A well-stocked first aid should be kept in vehicles, workplace, at home, etc. The content of the first aid kit varies according to the emergency it will serve. Some of the contents include:
1. Sterile dressings
2. Bandages
3. Triangular dressings
4. Adhesives
5. Disposable hand gloves
6. Face-mask
7. Mouth valve
8. AED ( automatic external defibrillator)
9. Antiseptic or antibiotic cream
10. Scissors
11. Cotton wools
12. Safety pins
13. Antiseptic lotions like hydrogen peroxide.
Common accidents and their first aid
1. Burns; can be caused by thermal heat or corrosive chemicals or radiations. The first line of action is to immerse the affected area in clean cool water or running water to reduce heat or eliminate the chemical, remove soaked clothing carefully before the area stars to swell, immobilize the affected area, and give small cold drink or fluid at intervals if conscious. Lastly, immediately transfer casualty to the nearest health facility.
2. Cuts from sharp objects; can be caused by a knife, broken bottle, and sharp ends of metal, wood or a nail. First, remove the of the object, wash area with clean water under a running tap, use a clean cloth to and apply pressure to the area in order to stop bleeding, elevate injured part and lastly, transfer to a nearby health facility.
3. Epistaxis; can be cause by a blow or a sign of medical condition. First, support the casualty in a sitting position with his head slightly forward (for fear of aspiration), instruct him to breathe through the mouth and pinch firmly the soft part of the nose for few minutes. Loosen tight clothing around the neck and chest, if bleeding continues, transfer to the nearest health facility.
4. Asthma; sudden attacks of difficulty in breathing. First, move the casualty away from the trigger, loosen tight clothing around the neck and chest, position the casualty in a comfortable position usually sitting up. Reassure casualty and provide plenty of fresh air. Lastly transfer to a nearby health facility.
5. Stings and bites; remove the sting using a sterilized forceps, tweezers or the point of a needle, apply antihistamine cream immediately if available or apply a cold compress to alleviate pain and quickly seek for medical help.
In conclusion, the main purpose of first aid is to save lives and minimize threat of death. First aid done correctly should help reduce casualty’s pain during evaluation and treatment process. It is important to note that first aid is not medical treatment and cannot be compared with what a trained medical professional provides. First aid involves making common sense decisions in best interest of an injured person.
Maryam Saleh wrote this, and can be reached @MaryamSalehN on Twitter.
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