First Aid

• FIRST AID

  the immediate care given

  to a person/victim who has

  suddenly become ill or has

  been injured.
• ROLE OF FIRST AIDER

  1. bridge the gap between the time

  of the accident and the arrival of

  physician.

  2. end when medical assistance

  begins.

  3. doesn’t intend to compete with

  or take place of the physician.
• Objectives of First Aid

  • To prolong life
  • To alleviate suffering
  • To prevent further or added injury
• Characteristics of a Good First Aider

  • Observant - notice all the signs
  • Resourcefulness - make best use of all things
  • Gentle - shouldn't cause pain
  • Tactful - shouldn't be alarming
  • Sympathetic - should be comforting
• Fainting

  caused by a sudden fall in the supply of blood to their brain that results in the temporary loss of consciousness.
• Signs & Symptoms

  • Sweating
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Weakness
  • Paleness
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Blurred vision
• First Aid

  • Lay the person flat on the ground. Elevate the legs to coax more blood into your brain.
  • If the person is on chair, push his head down between his knees.
  • Loosen tight clothing.
  • Avoid crowding the patient.
  • Call a doctor if necessary.
• Nose Bleed - occurs when a small blood vessel in the lining of the nose bursts. It is very common in children and often result from harmless activities such as your child picking their nose, blowing it too hard or too often or from getting knocked on the nose during play.
• Wounds

  • Break in the continuity of a tissue either external or internal.

  Classification

  • Closed(internal)
  • Open(external)
  • Explosion
• Closed wound

  The types of closed wounds are:

  • Contusions, more commonly known as bruises, caused by a blunt force trauma that damages tissue under the skin.
  • Strained Muscles - over-stretching of muscles that have not been sufficiently warmed-up (could be called "cold" muscles).
  • Sprained Ligament - sudden force causing joint to move beyond its natural range of movement e.g. to break one's fall at speed durng an activity such as ice-skating.
• • Rest the affected area
  • Ice application or cold compress
  • Compression over the affected area
  • Elevate the affected area above the heart
• Open Wound

  • Abrasions(grazes), superficial wounds in which the topmost layer of the skin (the epidermis) is scraped off.
  • Lacerations are jagged, irregular, or blunt breaks or tears in the soft tissues.
  • Avulsion is forcible separation or tearing of tissue from the victim's body.
• • Incised wounds, or cuts in-body tissues are commonly caused by knives, metal edges, broken glass, or other sharp objects commonly cause incised wounds, or cuts, in-body tissues.
  • Puncture wounds are caused by a sharp object that penetrates the skin.
• The major principles of open-wound treatment are to:

  • Control bleeding.

  Direct pressure

  Elevation

  • Prevent further contamination of the wound (wound dressing & bandaging)
  • Immobilize the injured part.
  • Stabilize any impaled object.
• Bandaging

  Bandages have three key uses: applying pressure to bleeding wounds; covering wounds and burns; and proving support and immobilization for broken bones, sprains, and strains. These includes gauze, triangular, Elastic, and tubular bandage.
• • A standard triangular bandage is made from a piece of cloth approximately forty inches square by folding the square diagonally and cutting along the fold.
  • It is easily applied and can be handled so that the part to be applied over the wound or burn dressings will not be soiled.
  • It is usually made from unbleached cotton cloth, although any kind of cloth will do.
• • In emergencies, a triangular bandage can be improvised from a clean handkerchief, a clean piece of shirt, etc.
  • The triangular bandage is also used to make tourniquets, to support fractures and dislocations, to apply splints, and to form slings.
• • A triangular bandage may be used open or folded. When folded, it is known as a cravat.
  • A medium cravat is made by folding lengthwise along a line midway between the base and the new top of the bandage, in effect, folding the wide cravat bandage in half lengthwise.
  • A narrow cravat is made by repeating the folding.
  • This method has the advantage that all bandages can be folded to a uniform width, or the width may be varied to suit the purpose for which it is to be used. To complete a dressing, the ends of the bandage are tied securely.
• • the Reef Knot (also called the Square Knot) is an ancient and simple binding knot used to secure a rope or line around an object.
  • Use this knot to tie bandages and shoelaces.