FIRST AID

Definition of first aid:

• First aid is an emergency aid or treatment

given to someone injured, suddenly ill, etc.,
before regular medical services arrive or can
be reached.

• First aid is the provision of immediate care to a

victim with an injury or illness, usually
effected by a lay person, and performed within
a limited skill range.
 Objectives of first aid/guiding
principle:
• 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.
• Prevent further injury
• Preserve life
• Promote recovery
 Importance of First Aid
• In the pre-hospital setting, the key
contributors to survival and recovery from
illness and injury are prompt and effective
maintenance of the body’s primary functions:
1. Airway
2. Breathing
3. Circulation
4. Bleeding control (life threatening)
 Golden rule’s of first aid
• Do first things first quickly, quietly and without fuss or panic.
• Give artificial respiration if breathing has stopped-every second
counts.
• Stop any bleeding.
• Guard against or treat for shock by moving the casualty as little
as possible and handling him gently.
• Do not attempt too much-do the minimum that is essential to
save life and prevent the condition from worsening.
• Reassure the casualty and those around and so help to
lessen anxiety.
• Do not allow people to crowd round as fresh air is
essential.
• Do not remove clothes unnecessarily.
• Arrange for the transport of the casualty to the care of a
doctor or hospitals as soon as possible
 Content of the first aid kit:
The Red Cross recommends that all
first aid kits for a family of four
include the following: Medications:
Dressing: • 2 hydrocortisone ointment
• 2 absorbent compress dressings packets (approximately 1 gram
each)
(5 x 9 inches)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted
(approximately 1 gram)
sizes)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x
1 inch) • 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg
• Sterile eye dressing each)
• Bandages:
• Gauze pad
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches
wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches
wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x
 Content of the first aid kit:
Equipment’s: Others:
• Tweezers-to pull out stings • 1 blanket (space blanket)
• Scissors-to cut dressing/bandage • 1 breathing barrier (with one-way
• Oral thermometer (non- valve)
mercury/nonglass) • 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves • First aid instruction booklet
(size:
large)
• Safety pin
FIRST AID IN EMERGENCIES
 Wound

Definition: an injury to living tissue caused

by a cut, blow, or other impact, typically
one in which the skin is cut or broken.
or
Wound, a break in the continuity of any
bodily tissue due to an external action,
typified by a cut, a bruise, or a hematoma.
 Types of Wounds
⚫ Abrasion – The top layer of the skin
removed
⚫ Laceration – A cut skin with jagged,
irregular edges and caused by a forceful
tearing away of skin tissue.
⚫ Incisions – Smooth edges and
resembles a
surgical or paper cut.
⚫ Punctures – Deep, narrow wounds such
as a stab wound from a nail or a knife in
the skin and underlying organs.
⚫ Avulsion – Flap of skin is torn loose
and is either hanging from the body or
completely removed.
⚫ Amputation – Cutting or tearing off
Wound management
🗸 Control Bleeding
🗸 Clean Wounds (Using antiseptic lotion /
water)
🗸 Remove small objects that do not flush
out by cleaning with sterile tweezers.
🗸 If bleeding persists, apply direct pressure
(Until bleeding stops).
🗸 Apply antibiotics (If normal wound).
🗸 Use Bandages.
🗸 Shift to a Hospital (If it is severe)
 Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage is bleeding from a damaged blood vessel.
Many things can cause hemorrhage inside and outside
the body.

Hemorrhage range from minor, such as a bruise, to

major, such as bleeding in the brain.

Types of Hemorrhage
1. External Hemorrhage
2. Internal Hemorrhage
 Hemorrhage/Bleeding:
External bleeding: This is where the blood vessels and
the skin are cut and blood is escaping from the body.
Causes:
• Damage to the skin caused by trauma.
• Can be a laceration (clean cut), abrasion, or avulsion
(with skin still hanging).
Management:
• If it’s a minor bleed allow some bleeding to take place as this
will help clean the wound.
• Then wash with warm water and soap, apply a dressing to
keep it clean, change the dressing every few hours, and
monitor for signs of infection.
 Hemorrhage/Bleeding:

Management conti—”
• If the bleeding is severe then apply the RED principle:
• Rest: make sure the person is resting so as to decrease the
heart rate and blood pressure.

• Elevate: raise the injured limb above the heart to slow down
the bleeding.

• Direct Pressure: put pressure directly over the wound to help

control bleeding, tie the dressing in place. But, do not make
the dressing too tight so as to restrict blood flow. Do not
remove the dressing.
RED
 Hemorrhage/Bleeding:
Internal bleeding: This is where the blood vessels are broken
but the skin is not, so the person is bleeding under the skin.
Injured organs will result in internal bleeding.

Causes:
Usually physical trauma, being hit, falling. Very common in
car accidents.

Signs/Symptoms:
• Bruising, pain
• Tenderness
• There may be blood in their spit, vomit, or urine.
 Hemorrhage/
Bleeding:
Internal bleeding contd:
Management:
• If it’s a minor bruise on the arm or leg then rest the
injured part, apply an ice pack for a few minutes,
and watch for signs that it is not healing.
• If it’s severe internal bleeding in the core of the
body then call the ambulance, make sure the
person is resting, treat for shock, apply an ice pack,
but do NOT put pressure over the wound.

Notes:
• Internal bleeding is not always obvious, but can be
life threatening.
 Nose bleeds/epistaxis:
• Have the person rest, have them pinch their nose
just below the bone, and lean slightly forward.
• If the bleeding is severe, if it does not stop in
about 10-15 minutes, or if there was an injury to
the head or face, medical attention is needed.
• Do not have the person lean their head back, as
all this does is have them swallow their blood,
which is not desired & may cause airway
obstruction.
 Broken bones and fractures
• Definition: A break or crack in a bone is called a
fracture.
• In most cases the damage to the bone will be
under the skin, which is called a closed fracture,
• But sometimes bits of the bone can puncture
through the skin to become an open fracture.
• Even if you can't see any blood, the break might
have caused some internal bleeding.
 Fractur
Signs:
e
• The seven things to look for are:
• Swelling
• Difficulty moving
• Movement in an unnatural direction
• A limb that looks shorter, twisted or bent
• A grating noise or feeling
• Loss of strength
 Types of fracture:
• Green stick fractures: Closed fracture mostly it occurs in
children.

• Complicated fractures: They occur when the jagged ends

of the bone fragments damage blood vessels, nerves or a
joint, broken bones in the chest may penetrate the lung,
heart or liver. In fractures of the skull, the brain is usually
damaged.

• Depressed fractures: These occur in the skull when the

broken ends of the bones are pressed inwards.

• Comminuted Fractures: In these cases, the bone is broken

into several fragments. This is serious because there will be
muscle damage with more bleeding at the fracture site.
 Types of fracture:
• Impacted Fractures: After a heavy fall, the
fracture may be impacted by the force, (eg.) Spinal
injury falling from tree.
• Pathological Fractures: These occur when the bone is
weakened by loss of calcium, infection or cancer.
Minimal cause a break in such cases. In old age the
bones are more brittle, and may break spontaneously
due to calcium loss which is part of the ageing
process.
• Stress Fractures: Stress caused by repeated minor
trauma as in athletic training. Involved in
strenuous training, such as jogging or marathon
running.
 Management
• If it is an open fracture, cover the wound with a
sterile dressing and secure it with a bandage. Apply
pressure around the wound to control any
bleeding.
• Support the injured body part to stop it from
moving. This should ease any pain and prevent any
further damage.
• Once you’ve done this, call medical help. While
waiting for help to arrive, don’t move them unless
they’re in immediate danger.
 Management contd..
• Protect the injured area by using bandages to secure
it to an uninjured part of the body to stop it from
moving. For example, fractures on the arm can be
secured with a sling, and a leg with a fracture can be
tied to the uninjured leg.
• The affected area should be cooled by placing ice
cubes with a clean cloth and then placed on the
affected area in order to reduce swelling and pain.
Don't apply ice directly to the skin.
 Management contd..

• Keep checking the casualty for signs of shock. This

does not mean emotional shock, but is a life-
threatening condition, often caused by losing blood.
• If they lose responsiveness at any point, open
their airway, check their breathing and prepare
to treat someone who’s become unresponsive.
•
 Injuries to the soft tissues:
• The most common soft tissues injured are muscles,
tendons, and ligaments.
• Sprains, strains, and contusions, as well as tendinitis
and bursitis, are common soft-tissue injuries.
• Joint injuries usually involve a dislocation. This is
where the bone has popped out of its socket.This
may be accompanied with a fracture, a strain, or a
sprain.
• Either way seek medical help.
• Do not push it back into place.
• Even with appropriate treatment, these injuries
may require a prolonged amount of time to heal.
 Injuries to the soft tissues:
– A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon, and is
often caused by overuse, force, or stretching.
– Tendons are strong tissues that connect a muscle on
to a bone. When a tendon tears it is called a strain.
– A sprain is a partial tear to a ligament and is often
caused by a wrench or twist.
– Ligaments connect a bone to another bone. When a
ligament is torn it is called a sprain.
– These are found around the joints.
– When they become torn they take a very long time to
heal, many times never as good as before, and
sometimes surgery is required to reattach them.
 Injuries to the soft tissues:

A contusion (bruise) is an injury to the soft tissue often

produced by a blunt force, such as a kick, fall, or blow.
The result will be pain, swelling, and discoloration because of
bleeding into the tissue.

Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon, a flexible band of

tissue that connects muscle to bones.

Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac that

provides a cushion between bones and muscles or tendons.
 Injuries to the soft tissues:
Signs/Symptoms:
• A ‘snapping’ noise
• Pain
• Deformity
• Inability to move
• Swelling
• Bruising
 Injuries to the soft tissues:
• Causes:
– Any kind of force that is greater than what the tissue can
withhold will cause such an injury. Some common
activities include falling, twisting, getting hit, etc.
– These injuries often occur during sports and exercise
activities, but sometimes simple everyday activities can
cause an injury.
• Prevention:
– Use safety equipment and wear it properly.
– Use seat belts and car seats.
– Keep joints and bones strong through weight
bearing physical activities.
 Injuries to the soft tissues::
Management:
– Apply the RICE principle.
• Rest the injured body part and the entire casualty.
• Immobilize the injured body part.
• Cold compress over the injury to reduce swelling.
• Elevate the injured body part if it can be done without causing
further injury.
– Seek medical help.
– Do not rub or move the injured body part.
– If there is a protruding bone then bleeding will need to be
taken care of by applying indirect pressure.
– Never straighten or realign an injured body part.
 Burns
Definition: A burn is damage to the skin or underlying tissue
caused by heat.
There are 3 levels of severity:
1st (Superficial) – Involves epidermis
2nd (Partial thickness) – Involves epidermis & dermis
3rd (Full thickness) – Involves epidermis, dermis, fat & muscle

Causes: There are 5 main sources of burns;

• Electricity
• Radiation (sun)
• Thermal (something hot)
• Chemical
• Friction
Management:
• For 1st and 2nd degree burns you should cool the
area immediately with gently running cold water for
about 10-15 minutes, or until it has cooled off. Do not
break any blisters as this will make the wound worse.
• Cover the burn with sterile material in 2nd degree
burns.
• For 3rd degree burns do not put anything on the burn,
seek medical help immediately and treat for shock.
3rd degree is extremely life threatening even when a
small body part is affected. If there is clothing on the
burn do not remove it as this may also remove skin.
There is a very high risk of infection from this kind of
burn.
Notes:
• As with all other emergencies make sure the area is safe for
you first. Watch out for live wires, hot objects, chemical
spills, etc.
• The severity of a burn can also be increased depending on
which part of the body is affected, e.g. face and neck.
• The amount of the body that is burnt, e.g. only fingertip or
entire arm.
• With chemical burns flush the area with lots of water to
get it off the casualty’s skin.
• Never apply ointments, butter, or other home remedies on
burns, as this may make the burn worse, keep the heat
trapped in, or cause an infection.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation:

• CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an

emergency lifesaving procedure performed when
the heart stops beating.
• Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of
survival after cardiac arrest.
 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation:
• Airway:
• Place them on their back, carefully so as to not cause any
injury.
• Open their airway by tilting their head back and lifting their
chin upwards. This will remove the tongue from blocking the
airway.
• Keep the airway open.

• Breathing:
• Check for Breathing by looking, listening, and feeling for air
(10 seconds).
• If they are breathing then monitor and put them in the
recovery position until the paramedics arrive.
• If they are not breathing give them 2 breaths,
allowing the air to come out in between.
• If the air goes in then go to “Circulation.”

• If the air does not go in, re-position the head-

tilt/chin-lift a bit further back and try blowing
again. Be careful not to injure their neck.
• If the air still does not go in then go to
“Circulation”.
• Circulation:
– Start CPR if needed (compressions and breaths).
– It is 30 compressions to 2 breaths. Continue until
paramedics arrive or until something changes with the
person (reassess at this point).
– If the air was not going in make sure you
check the mouth, to see if the food came out, after
each set of compressions. If you see the object in
their mouth take it out and reassess breathing.
• About compressions:
– Adult: use both hands. Compress 4-5 cm deep.
– Child: use one hand. Compress almost half way
down.
– Infant: use two fingers. Compress almost
halfway down.
– Fast and smooth.
– Do not stop unless something changes.
– Ribs may break, keep going.
– If they vomit roll them onto their side, clean
their mouth, continue.
Two-Rescuer CPR:
In a situation where there are 2 trained first
aiders, and they work well together, one rescuer
can perform the compressions while the other
rescuer gives the breaths.
All the steps are the same, nothing changes. This
is a bit more sufficient and less tiring for the
rescuers. If the rescuer doing the compressions
becomes tired they can switch positions.
Animal bites
 Bites and stings:
Signs/Symptoms:
Wound (animal or human bite) or
swelling and pain (insect sting).

Treatment:
• For animal and human bites, cleanse wound with soap and
water and apply iodine containing antiseptic; submit animal
for rabies test.
• For insect stings apply cortisone ointments, soothing lotions,
or cool compress.
• Persons who are allergic to insect stings should carry
adrenaline with them at all times.
Snake bite: Not all snakes are poisonous, but if you get bitten by a
poisonous one, you better rush to medical help immediately.
Because snake anti-venom depends on the type of snake that
caused the bite, if you can, try and remember the color and
pattern of the snake so they can identify it and give you the
correct anti-venom.
Treatment:
• Have the person rest with the bitten body part lower than the
heart.
• For poisonous snakebite, cooling the site of the wound with ice
will slow down absorption of poisons; antivenin treatment is
required only for a small number of reptile bites.
• Seek medical help as soon as possible.
• If the person becomes unconscious begin the Primary Survey.
Prevention:
• If you are in an area where there may be snakes;
• Wear high boots that cover your calves.
• Make noise with your feet as you walk to scare off any snakes.
• If there are trees look on the branches as you walk.
• Check a head of time what types of snakes might be in the
area. So if a bite does occur you can notify the hospital what
kind of snake it was.
• Check a head of time with local hospitals to see if they do
have snake anti- venom.
Notes:
• Do NOT tie a tourniquet to try and stop the blood from
flowing. This may cause death to the limb from lack of blood
flow.
Bug bite:
These are tiny insects-like bugs that live in the woods and can
easily fall on you as you walk by.
They are very small, you don’t feel them, and they are very
hard to see.
Signs/Symptoms:
• Red, itchy hives.
• Swelling
• Itching
• Some bites can trigger a life-threatening allergic reaction that
requires emergency care. Breathing difficulty, facial swelling,
dizziness, confusion and hives are symptoms of such a
reaction.
Treatment:
• Apply a cloth dampened with cold water or filled with ice
to the area of the bite or sting for 10 to 20 minutes.
• This helps reduce pain and swelling.
• Apply to the affected area calamine lotion, baking soda
paste, or 0.5% or 1% hydrocortisone cream.
• If needed, Seek medical help (family doctor) to obtain anti-
biotics.
Prevention:
• When doing outdoor activities wear long sleeve clothing, a
cap, and long pants.
• After the activity take a few minutes and examine self or each
other for any bites, they usually end up on the scalp,
shoulders, or upper back.
 Scorpion bites: Generally scorpion can be seen in the moist
dark places and in rainy season. Though the scorpions are
not seriously poisonous but sometimes persons can
become unconscious.
Signs & Symptoms:
• Severe burning
• Intolerable increasing pain in the bitten area
• Giddiness
• Vomiting
• Unconsciousness
Management:
• Patient should make to lie comfortably and soothing cream
applied.
• If the patient is unconsciousness, send him to doctor or
hospital
• If a big blister is seen after 6-12 hours and it burst by itself,
do the dressing with antibiotic cream
Dog Bite: A rabid animal is aggressive, drooling saliva must be
approached with care. The most serious infection risk is rabies,
a potentially fatal viral infection of the nervous system. The
virus is carried in the saliva of the infected animal. Tetanus is
also a potential risk following any animal bite. The dog should
be watched for 10 days. If the dog is healthy after this period
then there is no danger of rabies.
Symptoms:
• Headache, nausea, vomiting, fever.
• Restlessness, confusion.
• Difficulty in swallowing.
• Foul smelling of the mouth.
• Hydrophobia
• Difficulty in drinking water.
• Aerophobia
• Respiratory paralysis.
Management:
• Thorough washing of the bitten area and wash
the wound with soap and water (Detergent
solution) for 5-10minutes.
• Dress the wound with clean sterile gauze or
cloth. Apply antibiotic cream.
• Shift the causality immediately to the hospital.
• The dog should be kept under observation for
10 days.
Cat bite: Cats keep roaming around the houses
but if they are disturbed and touched they
become violent and can attack. It causes two
types of wounds
• 1. On biting with teeth
• 2. Scratches by the nails

Management:
• Wash the wound and apply the dressing
properly.
• Refer to hospital.
 Rat bite: Rats are harm to the human being in
different ways.
• The flea found on their body spread a
dangerous disease called plague.
• Sometimes they scrap the palm of the hand or
foot of sleeping person
Signs and symptoms: Fever
Management:
• Wound should be washed and
dressed properly
• Patient should be sent to the hospital.
Ticks and Mites bites:
Tick is a small insect like bed bug. It is about half or
one centimeter long. It has a terrible capacity to
stick to the body and keep sucking the blood during
this period it spreads germs of certain diseases in
the body by which they get Typhus Fever, Rocky
Mountain spotted fever etc.

Signs & Symptoms:

Symptoms include high fever, headache, chills,
tiredness and muscle aches.
Management:

• The tick or mite which has bitten and

sticked should be immediately removed.
• Should be pulled force fully.
• Apply burning cigarettes on the dorsal
surface.
• Apply oil turpentine or kerosene to remove
the tick or mite.
• The wound should be washed with soap and
water
• Apply antibiotic cream
• Apply bandage
Leech bite:
• Leech is generally found in tanks, rivers,
moist and muddy places. It sucks quite a
large amount of blood.
Management:
• Apply a burning stick or cigarette on the
dorsal surface.
• Wash the wound and apply bandage.
 Foreign body in throat (Choking)
Choking (Asphyxia due to obstruction in wind pipe): This is
most common with children. A marble, a seed, coin,
weed or a button may get stuck in the air passage. In
adults too, food may go down the wrong way and cause
choking.

Signs/Symptoms: difficulty in breathing, talking, and

swallowing.

Treatment:
Steps to Unconscious Choking
– Ask them if they are choking.
– Ask them if you can help.
– Step behind them and do abdominal thrusts
(chest thrusts if they are big or pregnant).
– Continue until the food comes out or until
they become unconscious.
– If the food comes out make them comfortable
and activate ambulance if they need it.
– If they become unconscious;
– Carefully lay them on the ground.
– Get someone to call for an ambulance.
– Perform a tongue-jaw-lift.
– Check the mouth for the food.
– Do CPR
Tongue-jaw lift:
• This is done when you want to see if there is
food inside an unconscious person’s mouth.
• It is done by opening their mouth and grabbing
their tongue (like a tongue depressor) with your
thumb. Now you can see inside their mouth.
• If you see an object use your other hand to pull it
out.
• Never put any foreign objects, e.g. tweezers,
inside their mouth to pull out the object.
• If the object is liquid or hard to get out, turn the
person on their side and try scooping it out from this
position.
Conscious Choking Infant:
– Lay them on your arm face down and give 5 back
blows.
– Turn them over face up and give 5 chest
compressions.
– Continue until the food comes out or until they
become unconscious.
– If the food comes out make them comfortable
and get medical help if they need it.
– If they become unconscious;
• Lay them down.
• Activate ambulance.
• Check their mouth for the food.
• Do CPR
Note:
• Hold the baby securely so that they don’t slip and
fall.
• Once the food comes out take the baby to a
doctor to check for any injuries that may have
occurred from the rescue attempts.
• Never shake a baby upside down to try and
remove a choking object.
• Always support the head, as they do not have
developed neck muscles yet.
THANK YOU