First Aid

First Aid is the very first

assistance you give to
some one who has been
injured.
Knowing
what to do first
and
recognizing how potentially serious a victim
condition is
prove vital to
SAVING A LIFE
and may
Speed Recovery
even if you know only the basics

First Aid Skills will help you stay
Calm
in control
in an emergency
Principles of First Aid (rules)
Call for emergency help (it takes time to come)
Do not put yourself in danger
Think, plan and act (do not act impulsively)
Look around the accident site for hazards such as
Flammable substance
water

know your limitations (do not try mouth to
mouth if you have no idea what to do: ask help)


Protect yourself in whatever ways you can
from body fluid especially blood
HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Do not have ego
(If you were the first to turn up at an incident but
other helpers come to your aid and seem better
qualified to help then forgo your pride and defer
to them.)
Try to get everyone out of the way except for
close friends who are giving actual aid.
It is a good idea to debrief after an emergency.
e.g. Ambulance is been called; condition of the
wound and your plans.

Goals of First Aid
To keep victim alive:
ABC of life support
Airway, Breathing and Circulation
constitute the top priority of First Aid.
To stop the casualty from getting worse
To provide reassurance and comfort the
victim

When you should do Nothing?
Sometimes its better to do nothing
than to risk doing the wrong thing
Be Prepared:

What would need to be done in an emergency?
Advance preparation means that you will be able to cope
with whatever happens more confidently.

Keep a list of important telephone numbers: hospital,
ambulance, police station, friends, neighbour.

Keep a list of medication taken by you/member of team.

Record of any allergies to food /drug.

What to do in an Emergency
Stay Calm
Assess the situation
promptly
Now carry out the
DRSABC

DRSABC
D- Danger:
Keep yourself away from danger.
Keep passers by out of danger.
Make safe any hazard .
Move casualty away from danger
(extreme circumstances).
R- Response:
1. Try to establish the responsiveness level .
Speak loudly to them if unconscious and
/semiconscious
e.g. CAN YOU HEAR ME
2. If this fails to get a response tap them
firmly on the shoulder


Always make your initial assessment of
a casualty in the position in which you
found them.
A B C
A- Airway
B-Breathing
C- Circulation

WHY THE HURRY???
Airway
Find whether the airway is clear enough to allow proper
breathing
Check mouth and remove any visible obvious
obstruction, i.e. food, that are at the front of the mouth
only.
Tilt the casualtys head back gently to prevent the
airway block by the tongue.
Technique:
Place the hand on forehead
and two fingers under the
jaw. Tilt back gently
Dont move a victim into
their back unless you need
to start CRP.

Breathing
Is the casualty breathing ????
Look - at the chest and stomach for movement
Listen - for sounds of breath
Feel - for breath on your cheek





If none is present, patient is not breathing

Check for other signs of life e.g. body warmth,
colour, ability to swallow
If these signs are negative the casualty is
probably not breathing
Start giving rescue Breaths
Call ambulance,
get someone else who knows CPR
Circulation
Carotid pulse on the side nearest to you.
Check the pulse for at least 5 seconds.




between the larynx and the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle at the level of the cricoid cartilage
If heart is not beating,
you have to give cardiac
compressions as well as artificial breathing.
CPR

CRP
Demonstration
Getting Help
Phone emergency service, friend, police
Dont move the victim
The golden rule after accident is not to move
an injured person unless
they are in danger,
need to be resuscitated or
are unconscious and should be put into the
recovery position
If moving a casualty is unavoidable you should
be very careful with their neck/spine: Log Roll
Recovery Position
the purpose of recovery position is to minimize the possibility
of the casualty choking on their tongue or contents of their
stomach
{if you suspect spinal injury the head and trunk are aligned at
all times}

Log Roll Technique
After completing DRSABC
Once you know that casualty is conscious
and breathing , try to identify the
problem by carrying out an examination

Start examination with head and finish
with arms and legs.
Take consent of victim before starting
examination.
People in shock have pale, cold , clammy skin.
Fever makes skin hot, dry and flushed
Blue skin and lips suggests a heart that is not
pumping well or breathing problem, that are
preventing enough oxygen from reaching the
blood.
Place unconscious but breathing victim in the
recovery position before examining them.(if you
suspect spinal injuries examine them first)
Always protect the victims spine first.
Head examination
Swelling
Depression
Cuts
Bleeding
Blood/ fluid in nose or ears
Check mouth for loose or broken dentures
Neck examination
Make sure the clothing is not too tight
Feel for swelling and pain along the back of
the neck very gently without moving the neck
Any one with a suspected spinal injury must
be kept as still as possible as you check


Chest examination

Is the chest moving normally
Are there any painful area over the
ribs.(fracture)
If there is any object stuck in the chest, don't
remove it.
Feel the color bone for swelling and pain
While removing clothing to look at the chest
whenever situation demands always proceed
with the sensitivity.
Abdomen examination
Feel stomach gently for any large swelling and
painful place.
If victim is conscious they will
flinch,
moan or
cry out
if you touch an area that is painful
Low back examination
If you suspect spinal injury do not try
examining the back.
If no spinal injury is suspected gently feel the
back for any painful area.
Pelvic examination
Note any painful area over the hip
Maintain a very light touch , because pelvic
injuries can be extremely painful.
Arms and legs examination
Look for injuries .
Test the limb function by asking whether the
casualty can feel you touching their arms and
legs.
Ask them to grip your hand with their hand
and to try tensing their leg muscles.

Removing clothing
Removing a victims clothing should not be an
automatic reaction.
Only remove clothing if you feel it is absolutely
essential in order to treat the victim efficently.
Try to seek the victims consent
Remove cloth and shoes with the minimum of
the movement to avoid further injury and pain.
Cut the cloth rather than pulling.
With leg and foot injuries try to take off shoes
and socks before the leg and ankle becomes
swollen.

Removing helmets
Only remove helmet as a last resort
As a rule of thumb, do so only if they are
impending a victims breathing
If you have to remove the helmet try to get
someone to assist you.

Technique- one helper firmly supports the
victims neck and jaw while the other
carefully removes the helmet.

Moving and handling safely
Never move a victim if there is any
chance that could the victim have a
spinal injury.
Very rarely it may be vital to move the
victim away from danger into a safer
environment
in case of fire ,explosion and risk of
hypothermia.

Safe moving (rescuer): it is vital to protect
your own back so always remember to:
Get the victim to move himself or
herself if possible
Keep your feet slightly apart
Use your legs to lift not your back
Keep your back straight
Do not twist or turn as you lift
Keep the weight that is being lifted
close to your body



Moving Techniques
When there is only one rescuer:
Dragging: is the best way to move an
unconscious victim or when the victim is too
heavy to lift.
Human Crutch: is used when a casualty can
walk in a limited way. It helps to stabilized
their walk.
Cradle Carry: is used in case of children
Piggy Back:


Dragging
Human Crutch
Cradle Carry
Piggy Back
When there is two or more rescuer
Fore and Aft Carry: used in unconscious and
immobile casualty.
Two Hand Seat: used in conscious victim.

Blanket Lift:
is the safest and easiest way of moving an
unconscious or immobile casualty if there are
at least four helpers.

Blanket Lift

Keep a first aid kit readily available in your home, cottage, car,
boat, workplace, and recreation area. Store it in a dry place and
replace used or outdated contents regularly.

A first aid kit should contain the following:
Emergency telephone numbers for EMS, your local poison
control centre, and your personal doctors
Home and office phone numbers for family members,
friends, or neighbours who can help
Sterile gauze pads (dressings) in small and large squares to
place over wounds
Adhesive tape
Roller and triangular bandages to hold dressings in place or
to make an arm sling
Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
Scissors
Tweezers
Safety pins
Instant ice packs
Disposable non-latex gloves, such as surgical or
examination gloves
Flashlight, with extra batteries in a separate bag
Antiseptic wipes or soap
Pencil and pad
Emergency blanket
Eye patches
Thermometer
Barrier devices, such as a pocket mask or face shield
First aid manual


Fractures/Spinal Injuries/Head Injuries
The potential for loss of limb is outweighed
by the potential for loss of life.
Tourniquets can be life-saving devices if
used properly.