Physical Education. 4º ESO PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTH.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 4ºESO

CARD 6: FIRST AID.

1. CONCEPT.
First aid means the provision of immediate, appropriate and provisional treatment to people who have
had an accident or an illness or disease, before they can receive attention of healthcare staff.
Its main objective is to maintain and/or recover the vital sings: consciousness, respiration and
circulation.
You should keep in mind these advices to remember:
1 – Keep Calm. 2 – Don´t move the injured person. 3 – Examine and calm the injured person.

4 - Keep him or her warm. 5 – Advise health professional. 6 – Don´t give him or her any medicine.

7 – FOLLOW the PAA guidelines (PROTECT – ALERT – AID).

2. PAA GUIDELINES.
2.1. PROTECT.

First protect yourself, if necessary, and try to avoid another accident in the same place. Then try to move the
source of danger away if it remains, but if that isn´t possible and the victim is still in danger move him or her
carefully.

2.2. ALERT.

CALL 112 and provide as much information as possible (exact location, type of accident, number of people
injured, your name and telephone number, any other risks…)

2.3. AID.

Don´t move the injured person unless it is necessary. Follow every 112 instructions. Do a primary
assessment.

3. PRIMARY ASSESSMENT.

Try to identify the victim´ state. Check for vital sings and try to maintain or recover them.

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Physical Education. 4º ESO PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTH.

1. CONCIOUSNESS. Try to get some reply from the injured person. This level of response or
consciousness can be assessed in terms of the eyes, speech and movement. Are his eyes open? Can
he answer questions? Does he open his eyes or move if you pinch him?
a. CONCIOUS → evaluate his other injuries and call for help.
b. UNCONCIOUS → check if he is breathing.
2. BREATHING. Take 10 to 15 seconds to observe, hear
and feel to check his breath.
a. The person is breathing. If
there isn´t any spinal
injury, put the injured
person into the RP
(Recovery Position).
Search for other injuries.
b. The person is not breathing. CALL 112 immediately. Begin ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION (AR):
- Check to see if the airways are open.
- Pinch the nostrils with your fingers and use the other
hand to open the mouth. Place your mouth over the
victim´s so no air can escape. Breathe air into his lungs
and watch his chest raise.
3. CIRCULATION. Check the person
circulation.
a. No breathing and no pulse. →
CARDIOPULMONARY
RESUSCITATION. (CPR).
- Place your arms straight and two fingers
on the bottom of the sternum.
Compress the thorax 4 – 5 cms. The cycle
is 30 compressions (100-120
compressions per minute) followed by 2
breaths.

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Physical Education. 4º ESO PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTH.

If the injured person is conscious but his airways are obstructed you must perform Heimlich Manoeuvre:
get the person to stand up, place yourself behind the person, Lean the person forward and give five blows
to their back with the heel of your hand, then place your arms around their waist, make a fist and hold it in
your other hand and push it inward and upward at the same time. Perform five of these abdominal thrusts.
Repeat until the object is expelled and the person can breathe or cough on their own.

4. SECONDARY ASSESSMENT.

Once the victim is out of death danger, you can do a secondary assessment to discover other injuries
and treat them firstly.
For locomotor apparatus injuries (such as: contusion, muscle strain, tendinitis, joint sprain…) when
the victim is conscious, the first aid usually follows the RICE formula:
- Rest the injured part of the body at once.
- Ice should be applied to the affected part. This can reduce swelling and muscle spasm. It will
restrict the flow of blood to the injured area.
- Compress the injured area by means of an elastic bandage. This also helps to prevent swelling.
Note that the bandage should not be so tight as to completely restrict the flow of blood.
- Elevate the injured part. This should only be attempted if the movement does not cause pain.

Other injuries, like muscle cramps or contractures should need heat, massage or stretching to help
the healing process.

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