Sudden illness or injury can be serious unless proper care is promptly given.
First aid is not meant to replace the
physician, but only assist the victim until such time that proper medical assistance is available. Properly administered, first aid can restore natural
breathing and circulation, control
bleeding, reduce the severity of shock and protect injury from infection. By taking prompt action, the victim’s chances of recovery are greatly improved. While providing first aid, one should keep calm under all circumstances and do everything possible to reassure the victim. The injured person may stage a full recovery if first aid is made available during the first few minutes following an injury.
No two situations requiring first aid are the same; one should however follow certain general procedures. If several people have been injured, one should decide the priority in caring for each victim. One should first take care of life threatening situations. One should ask the injured person to keep lying down. One should loosen restrictive clothing, and cover the victim to keep him warm and dry. One should also keep onlookers away from the victim. One should not try to remove embedded objects, and one should not move the victim unless necessary. Above all, one should be aware of one’s limitations and try to secure trained medical help as soon as possible.
Certain conditions such as respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and severe bleeding require immediate attention. In case of respiratory failure, one should place the victim in a proper position and ensure adequate breathing. If there are no signs of breathing, artificial ventilation (mouth to mouth breathing) must be given. In case of bleeding, one should stop serious bleeding by applying direct pressure with a sterile bandage. A tourniquet should be used as a last resort, only until the bleeding stops. But one should not remove the original dressing. In case of cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be carried out. This involves the use of mouth to mouth breathing and rhythmic pressure on the breastbone.
The person providing first aid should know what equipment is available nearby at home, at work or in the car.