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Basic First Aid
Basic First Aid
• Burns
1.Hold the area under cold water for at least 10 minutes.
This makes the swelling go down and cools the skin.
2. Take off all their clothing apart from any clothes which are
stuck to the burn.
2. Get them to breathe through their mouth and pinch the soft part
of their nose below the bridge for 10 minutes.
3. When the bleeding stops, clean their face. Tell them not to speak,
cough or sniff because this might disturb the blood clots which have
formed in the nose and make the nose start bleeding again.
Top tips:
- Don't tilt the head back, because blood can go back down the
throat and make them feel sick.
- If bleeding doesn't stop after the first 10 minutes, pinch the nose
for another 10 minutes and then another 10 after that.
- If the child's nose is still bleeding after 30 minutes, you should
take them to casualty or your doctor.
BASIC FIRST AID
• Heat stroke
1. Classic heatstroke is caused by environmental
exposure and results in core hyperthermia
above 40°C
2. Exertional heatstroke is a condition primarily
affecting younger, active persons. It is
characterized by rapid onset—developing in
hours—and frequently is associated with high
core temperatures. Heat exhaustion is a more
common and less extreme manifestation of
heat-related illness in which the core
temperature is between 37°C and 40°C
BASIC FIRST AID
• Heat stroke
Signs and Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke
• I is for ice. Wrap some in a tea towel and put on the sore
area for ten minutes. This reduces pain and bruising.
• Look for signs of a fractured skull such as unequal pupils in their eyes,
bleeding from the ear or clear fluid running from the nose.
• Check for swelling or limbs sticking out at an unusual angle. If you think a
bone's broken, keep it still while you wait for an ambulance but wrap it
with towels to support it.
• If you can't see any broken bones or you don't think they've got a head
or neck injury, put them in the recovery position.
• If you can, find out what they've taken and take the
packaging to the hospital.
Top tips:
- Don't try to make them vomit, as this can make them
worse by damaging the stomach and the tubes that carry
food to it.
- If they've taken something that burns the airway or mouth,
you can let them have sips of milk or water to cool the
airway.
BASIC FIRST AID
• Anaphylactic shock
What is it?
An anaphylactic shock is a serious allergic reaction to something.
It's usually caused by foods or by insect stings.
What happens to your body?
When your body goes into shock your blood pressure will drop
making you feeling tired and dizzy. Your face and body might go red and your
face and neck might swell up making it harder to breathe.
Treating it
1. First try to find out if the person has any known allergies or is carrying
medication. This is usually an adrenaline injection which counteracts the
reaction.
2. If they have, ideally this should be injected into the outside of the thigh or
top of the bum.
3. Once you've given the injection, or if they haven't got any medication you
must call for help.
4. Lie them in the recovery position. If the person stops breathing or you
can't find any medication, call for help and then start CPR.
BASIC FIRST AID
• Cuts and bleeding
• If a person cuts him/herself badly, wash and dry your hands and,
if you can, put on disposable gloves.
• Lift the wound up so that the blood goes back to the heart,
rather than draining away.
1. Look to see if there's an object stuck, but only take it out if you think you
can get it without pushing it further down.
1. Put the baby over your arm and hit them on the back, making sure you
support their head and neck.
2. If this doesn't work, turn the baby onto their back and put their head in
your hand. With two fingertips, push inwards and upwards against the
breastbone five times.
Do this every three seconds and look in the mouth each time. If you see
something, pick it out, if not, carry on.
BASIC FIRST AID
• Choking
For kids older than 12 months
Put the child over your knee and give them 5 backslaps, between the
shoulder blades, with the palm of your hand.
• Stand behind them and place your fist between the belly button and
bottom of ribcage.
• Cup your fist with your other hand and pull sharply in and upwards in a
scooping movement. Do up to five times. This is known as the Heimlich
manoeuvre.
• Call an ambulance if it still hasn't worked and carry on doing it until the
ambulance arrives.
BASIC FIRST AID
• How to resuscitate
If a person loses consciousness, you must call an ambulance. While you're
waiting for it to arrive, follow the ABC procedure:
A for Airway
B for Breathing
C for Chest compression (Circulation)
A: Airway
- Lift their chin with one hand as you push down on the forehead with the
other to tilt head back. If they're under 5 lift the chin up so the face lies flat.
If the head is too far back or forward, it'll block the airway.
A for Airway
B for Breathing
C for Chest compression (Circulation)
B: Breathing
If there's no sign of normal breathing, start CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation) straightaway.
How to do CPR
- Tilt their head back, lift up their chin and pinch their nostrils together.
- Take a fresh breath, put your mouth completely over their mouth and
breathe into it for one second.
- Repeat no more than five times, checking to see if their chest rises. If not,
check to see if there is anything in their throat and make sure their head is
still tilted back.
BASIC FIRST AID
• How to resuscitate
If a person loses consciousness, you must call an ambulance. While you're
waiting for it to arrive, follow the ABC procedure:
A for Airway
B for Breathing
C for Chest compression (Circulation)
C: Circulation
- Put the heel of your hand on their breast bone.
- Press down firmly and quickly at a rate of 100 per minute.
- After you've done it 30 times, breathe into their mouth twice to get air into
their lungs in the same way you did above (B).
- Watch to see if the chest rises and falls. After the two breaths, go back to
chest compressions. Repeat this so that you do 30 chest compressions to
two breaths each time, until normal breathing starts.
BASIC FIRST AID
• Recovery position
If a person is breathing but unconscious, put them into this position. By
doing this it helps them to breathe easily and prevents choking from their
own vomit should it occur.
Top tip: If you think they've got a neck or head injury don't move them if
their breathing is okay.