First aid is a type of emergency action that typically entails straightforward, frequently life-saving procedures that the majority of people can learn to perform with little to no prior medical training and with little to no equipment.
It is not regarded as medical treatment and does not replace professional medical intervention.
First aid consists of basic procedures and common sense.
First aid objectives
First aid’s objectives are:
To save lives: Saving lives is first aid’s main objective.
The injured person must be kept still and their health must not deteriorate until medical assistance comes in order to prevent further harm. The person may need to be moved out of harm’s way, first aid may need to be given, they may need to be kept warm and dry, and pressure may need to be applied to wounds to stop bleeding.
One method to aid in the healing process is to bandage a wound.
First aid techniques
In first aid, ABC is the abbreviation that is most frequently used. The airway, breathing, and circulation are represented by the letters A, B, and C. There may be a fourth stage in some establishments’ emergency plans.
Make sure your airway is unobstructed. It is possible to die from choking, which happens when the airways are blocked. Once it has been established that the airways are clear, ascertain whether the person can breathe and, if necessary, provide rescue breathing.
The first responder should begin conducting chest compressions and rescue breathing as soon as the person in the emergency situation stops breathing. The chest compressions will aid with circulation. You can save time by doing this. In a non-life-threatening emergency, the first responder is required to check the pulse.
While some organizations view treating life-threatening wounds or shocking the heart as a separate fourth stage, others see it as a component of the circulation step.
A first aider’s training and experience determine their ability to assess and maintain ABC with a patient.The first responder can concentrate on any additional therapies after ABC has been established. The ABC method must be carried out in this specific order.
A first responder may, however, occasionally need to handle two duties at once. This might be the situation if rescue breathing and chest compressions are administered to a person who is not breathing and has no pulse.
Conduct a preliminary investigation to make sure there are no threats present before offering assistance:
Look for danger to the injured individual and to you. If there is a threat, is it possible to evacuate the area or remove the victim from further harm?
When there is no longer any risk, check to see whether the patient is awake and alert; ask questions; and see if they respond. It’s also important to check to see if they react to your touch and show signs of pain.
If your airway isn’t clear, check to see if you can clear it. While the injured individual is lying down, place two fingers from the other hand on their chin and one hand on their forehead. Lift your chin up and gradually tilt your head back. Dentures and other oral obstructions must be taken out. Only put your fingers inside the injured person’s mouth if there is a barrier.
Does the subject appear to be breathing normally? The initial responder should check for chest movement and signs of breathing in the mouth. After that, approach the individual and feel for air on the cheek caused by breathing.
A secondary inspection must then be performed by the first responder, who must search for anomalies, open wounds, medic alert tags, and swellings. Quickly examine the injured person’s entire body while they are still breathing normally to check for the following:
Open wounds;
Deformities;
Medical alert tags advising of underlying conditions
Swellings
Recovery position
Even if the person is breathing but unconscious, there is still a significant risk of airway obstruction. The patient’s risk is reduced in the recovery position. A first responder should carry out the actions listed below.
Remove the person’s glasses if they are wearing them.
Your nearest arm should be at a right angle to the body as you kneel next to the person.
Your other arm should be crossed over your chest. Put your hand back against the person you’re speaking to’s closest cheek.
With your other hand on the thigh that is farthest away from you, raise the knee. Make sure your foot is planted firmly and flatly on the ground.
Slowly lower the raised knee while turning your body toward you.
So that the hip and knee are at right angles, slightly bend the upper leg. They can’t roll onto their faces because of this.
To keep the airway open, gently tilt your head back.