SAKSHAM FACILITY SERVICES PVT LTD

First aid, the recovery position, and CPR

First aid is vital for saving lives. A person can

carry out first aid after a life-threatening incident
or injury before the arrival of emergency services.

Fast facts on first aid

 The aims of first aid are to preserve life, prevent harm, and promote
recovery.
 In first aid, ABC stands for airway, breathing, and circulation.
 The recovery position helps minimize further injury.
 CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It helps maintain the flow
of oxygenated blood.
 While doing chest compressions, you may hear cracks. This is normal.

What is first aid?

First aid is an emergency measure, generally consisting of simple, often life-
saving techniques that most people can train to perform with minimal
equipment and no previous medical experience.

The term usually refers to administering care to a human, although it can also
be performed on animals.

It is not classed as medical treatment and does not replace interventions

from a trained medical professional.

First aid is a combination of simple procedures and common sense.

Aims of first aid

The aims of first aid are:

 To preserve life: Saving lives is the main aim of first aid.

 To prevent further harm: The person who has experienced the injury
must be kept stable, and their condition must not deteriorate before
medical services arrive. This may include moving the individual away
from harm, applying first aid techniques, keeping them warm and dry,
and applying pressure to wounds to stop any bleeding.
 Promote recovery: Taking steps to promote recovery may include
applying a bandage to a wound.

How to practice first aid

The most common term referred to in first aid is ABC. This stands for airway,
breathing, and circulation. A fourth step will appear in the emergency
procedures for some facilities.

 Airway: Make sure the airway is clear. Choking, which results from the
obstruction of airways, can be fatal.
 Breathing: Once the airways are confirmed to be clear, determine
whether the person can breathe, and, if necessary, provide rescue
breathing.
 Circulation: If the person involved in the emergency situation is not
breathing, the first aider should go straight for chest compressions and
rescue breathing. The chest compressions will promote circulation. This
saves valuable time. In emergencies that are not life-threatening, the
first aider needs to check the pulse.
 Deadly bleeding or defibrillation: Some organizations consider dressing
severe wounds or applying defibrillation to the heart a separate fourth
stage, while others include this as part of the circulation step.
Evaluating and maintaining ABC with a patient depends on the training and
experience of a first aider. As soon as ABC has been secured, the first aider
can then focus on any additional treatments.

The ABC process must be carried out in that order.

However, there are times when a first aider might be performing two steps at
the same time. This might be the case when providing rescue breathing and
chest compressions to an individual who is not breathing and has no pulse.

It is important to use a primary survey to make sure the scene is clear of

threats before stepping in to help:

 Danger: Check for dangers to the injured person and yourself. If there

is danger, can it be cleared, or can the individual be moved away from
further harm? If there is nothing you can do, stand clear, and call for
professional help.
 Response: Once it is clear that all danger has ceased, check if the
patient is conscious and alert, ask questions, and see if you get a
response. It is also important to find out whether they respond to your
touch and are aware of their pain.
 Airway: Check whether the airway is clear and, if not, try to clear it.
Have the injured person lying on their back, and then place one hand on
the forehead and two fingers from the other hand on the chin. Gently tilt
the head back while slightly raising the chin upwards. Any obstructions
need to be removed from the mouth, including dentures. Only insert
fingers into the mouth of the injured indivisual if an obstruction is
present.
 Breathing: Is the individual breathing effectively? The first aider should
examine the chest for movement and the mouth for signs of breathing.
Afterward, get close to the person to see if air can be felt on the cheek
from breathing.

The first aider then needs to carry out a secondary survey, checking for
deformities, open wounds, medic alert tags, and swellings.
If the injured person is breathing safely, carry out a rapid whole-body check
for the following:

 open wounds
 deformities
 medical alert tags advising of underlying conditions
 swellings

This is known as a secondary survey. As soon as this has been completed,

place the individual in a recovery position. At this point, the first aider should
call for an ambulance.

Recovery position
Even if the individual is breathing but is unconscious, there is still a significant
risk of airway obstruction. The recovery position reduces the risk to the
patient. A first aider should do the following:

1. If the individual is wearing glasses, remove them.

2. Kneel next to the person and place the arm nearest to you at a right
angle to the body.
3. Bring the other arm across the chest. Hold the back of your hand
against their nearest cheek.
4. With your other hand, hold the thigh furthest from you and pull up the
knee. Make sure the foot is flat on the ground.
5. Slowly pull down on the raised knee and roll the body over towards you.
6. Move the upper leg slightly, so that the hip and knee are bent at right
angles. This makes sure that they do not roll onto their face.
7. Gently tilt the head back so that the airway is kept open.