INTRODUCTION TO FIRST AID

FO2 SHEREELYN C LIWAG, RN, BFP-SRF

GENERAL
OBJECTIVES

AT T H E E N D O F T H I S
MODULE, THE STUDENTS
SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
1. KNOW THE IMPORTANCE, PURPOSES, NATURE,
AND SCOPE FIRST AID AS A FIELD OF INTEREST;
2. DISTINGUISH THE TYPES OF FIRST AID.
3. UNDERSTAND THE GENERAL CONCEPT OF FIRST
AID.
 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
S P E C I F I C A L LY, AT T H E E N D O F T H I S M O D U L E , T H E
STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

1.Understand the concept First aid.

2.Define the Classification of First aid.
3.Illustrate the importance of first aid in every day life.
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
A. FIRST AID
It is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually
performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or
injured person until definitive medical treatment can be
accessed.

Certain selflimiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require

further medical care past the first aid intervention.

It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases,

potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be
trained to perform with minimal equipment.
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
B. HISTORY OF FIRST AID
The instances of recorded first aid were provided by religious knights,
such as the Knights Hospitaller, formed in the 11th century,
providing care to pilgrims and knights, and training other knights in
how to treat common battlefield injuries.
Jean-Henri Dunant, 1859 - organized local villagers to help victims of
the Battle of Solferino, including the provision of first aid.
Red Cross, with a key stated aim of "aid to sick and wounded soldiers
in the field".
Formation of St. John Ambulance in 1877.
First aid first coined in 1878 as civilian ambulance services spread as a
combination of "first treatment" and "national aid”.
In 1878 Surgeon-Major Peter Shepherd, together with Colonel Francis
Duncan established the concept of teaching first aid skills to
civilians. First Class at Presbyterian school in Woolwich together
with Dr. Coleman, “First aid for the injured“.
Clara Barton, founded the American Red Cross.
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
C. AIMS OF FIRST AID

1. Preserve life
2. Prevent further harm
3. Promote recovery
1. PRESERVE LIFE
o the overriding aim of all medical care,
including first aid, is to SAVE LIVES.
 o In order to stay alive, all persons need to
have an open airway—a clear passage
where air can move in through the mouth
or nose through the pharynx and down
into the lungs, without obstruction.

- CPR or
CadioPulmonary
Resuscitation
- Heimlich Maneuver or
Abdominal Thrusts
2. PREVENT FURTHER
HARM
o also sometimes called prevent
the condition from worsening, or
danger of further injury.
 o this covers both external factors, such
as moving a patient away from any
cause of harm, and applying first aid
techniques to prevent worsening of the
condition, such as applying pressure to
stop a bleed becoming dangerous.

- Bandaging
- Splinting
- C Collar Insertion
3. PROMOTE RECOVERY
o first aid also involves trying to start the recovery
process from the illness or injury, and in some cases
might involve completing a treatment, such as in
the case of applying a plaster to a small wound.
o The first aider is also likely to be trained in
dealing with injuries such as cuts, grazes
or bone fracture. They may be able to deal
with the situation in its entirety (a small
adhesive bandage on a paper cut), or may
be required to maintain the condition of
something like a broken bone, until the
next stage of definitive care (usually an
ambulance) arrives.
• KEY SKILLS
ABC ’S OF FIRST AID

A - irway
B - reathing
C - irculation
• KEY SKILLS
3 B’S OF FIRST AID

B - reathing
B - leeding
B - ones
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
D. SEVERAL TYPES OF FIRST AID
There are several types of first
aid (and first aider) which require
specific additional training.
These are usually undertaken to
fulfill the demands of the work or
activity undertaken.
SEVERAL TYPES OF FIRST
AID
 o Aquatic/Marine first
aid
is usually practiced
by professionals such as
lifeguards, professional
mariners or in diver
rescue, and covers the
SEVERAL TYPES OF specific problems which
FIRST AID may be faced after water-
based rescue and/or
delayed MedEvac.
 o Battlefield first aid
takes into account
the specific needs of
SEVERAL TYPES OF treating wounded
FIRST AID combatants and non-
combatants during armed
conflict.
 o Hyperbaric first aid
may be practiced by
SEVERAL TYPES OF SCUBA diving
FIRST AID professionals, who need to
treat conditions such as
the bends.
 o Oxygen first aid
is the providing of
SEVERAL TYPES OF oxygen to
FIRST AID patients/casualties who
suffer from conditions
resulting in hypoxia.
 o Hydrofluoric first aid
is taught to first
aiders in the chemical
industry where
hydrofluoric acid may be
used. Instructs the first
SEVERAL TYPES OF aider how to initially treat
FIRST AID (with calcium gluconate)
any skin that has been
splashed with the acid.
 o Mental Health first
aid
is taught independently
of physical first aid. How to
support someone
experiencing a mental health
problem or in a crisis
situation. Also how to identify
SEVERAL TYPES OF
the first signs of someone
FIRST AID developing mental ill health
and guide people towards
appropriate help.
 o Equine first aid
is the provision of first
aid for horses, mules and
donkeys under conditions
where the arrival of a
veterinarian or other
professional may be delayed
due to distance, constraints of
terrain, weather, and
available persons or
SEVERAL TYPES OF
equipment. It may be
FIRST AID necessary to care for an
injured animal for several
hours.
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
E. SYMBOLS
Although commonly associated with first
aid, the symbol of a red cross is an official
protective symbol of the Red Cross. According
to the Geneva Conventions and other
international laws, the use of this and similar
symbols is reserved for official agencies of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent,
and as a protective emblem for medical
personnel and facilities in combat situations.
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
The internationally accepted symbol for
first aid is the white cross on a green
background shown below.

Some organizations may make use of the

Star of Life, although this is usually reserved
for use by ambulance services, or may use
symbols such as the Maltese Cross, like the
Order of Malta Ambulance Corps and St John
Ambulance. Other symbols may also be used.
UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID

S T.
ISO FIRST ANDREW’S SYMBOL OF
AID SYMBOL FIRST AID R E D C R O SS
BADGE

M A LT E S E O R
AMALFI S TA R O F CIVIL
C R O SS LIFE DEFENSE
 UNDERSTANDING FIRST
AID
F. CONDITIONS OFTEN REQUIRE FIRST AID
1. Altitude sickness, which can begin in susceptible
people at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet, can cause
potentially fatal swelling of the brain or lungs.
2. Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition in which
the airway can become constricted and the patient
may go into shock. The reaction can be caused by a
systemic allergic reaction to allergens such as insect
bites or peanuts. Anaphylaxis is initially treated with
injection of epinephrine.
4. Bone fracture, a break in a bone initially treated by
stabilizing the fracture with a splint.
5. Burns, which can result in damage to tissues and
loss of body fluids through the burn site.
6. Cardiac Arrest, which will lead to death unless CPR
preferably combined with an AED is started within
minutes. There is often no time to wait for the
emergency services to arrive as 92 percent of people
suffering a sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching
hospital according to the American Heart Association.
7. Choking, blockage of the airway which can quickly
result in death due to lack of oxygen if the patient’s
trachea is not cleared, for example by the Heimlich
Maneuver.
8. Childbirth.
 10. Diving disorders, drowning or asphyxiation.
11. Gender-specific conditions, such as dysmenorrhea
and testicular torsion.
12. Heart attack, or inadequate blood flow to the
blood vessels supplying the heart muscle.
13. Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke or
hyperthermia, which tends to occur during heavy
exercise in high humidity, or with inadequate water,
though it may occur spontaneously in some
chronically ill persons. Sunstroke, especially when the
victim has been unconscious, often causes major
damage to body systems such as brain, kidney, liver,
gastric tract. Unconsciousness for more than two
hours usually leads to permanent disability.
Emergency treatment involves rapid cooling of the
patient.
 16. Heavy bleeding, treated by applying pressure
(manually and later with a pressure bandage) to the
wound site and elevating the limb if possible.
17. Hyperglycemia (diabetic coma) and Hypoglycemia
(insulin shock).
18. Hypothermia, or Exposure, occurs when a person’s
core body temperature falls below 33.7°C (92.6°F).
First aid for a mildly hypothermic patient includes
rewarming, but rewarming a severely hypothermic
person could result in a fatal arrhythmia, an irregular
heart rhythm.
19. Insect and animal bites and stings.
20. Joint dislocation.
21. Poisoning, which can occur by injection,
inhalation, absorption, or ingestion.
 23. Muscle strains and Sprains, a temporary
dislocation of a joint that immediately reduces
automatically but may result in ligament damage.
24. Stroke, a temporary loss of blood supply to the
brain.

25. Toothache, which can result in severe pain and

loss of the tooth but is rarely life threatening, unless
over time the infection spreads into the bone of the
jaw and starts osteomyelitis.
26. Wounds and bleeding, including lacerations,
incisions and abrasions, Gastrointestinal bleeding,
avulsions and Sucking chest wounds, treated with an
occlusive dressing to let air out but not in.
 THANK YOU

SHE LIWAG | [email protected] | BFP R2

NAGUILIAN