FIRST AID

By E Magudha
 What is First Aid

First Aid is the immediate and

temporary care/treatment given
to someone who is injured or has
suddenly taken ill, using facilities
and materials available at the
time of the accident
 FIRST AID
• The initial process of assessing and addressing the
needs of someone who is experiencing medical
emergencies.

• Allows a “non-medical expert” to quickly determine

a person’s physical condition and the course of
treatment.

• Can make a difference to a person’s recovery and

could save their life.
 Purpose of First Aid
• To Sustain the life

• To Prevent suffering

• To Prevent secondary complications

• To Promote speedy recovery

 DO AND DON’Ts
DO DON’Ts
• Before handling the • First Aider can
casualty use: never
Mask  Prescribe Medicine
Gloves  Declare DEATH
Head Cover
Apron
 PRINCIPLES OF FIRST AID (4 C’s)

• Call for Help

• Calmly Take Charge

• Check the scene & the casualty

• Carefully apply FIRST AID

 ACTION PLAN
 Assess the Situation

 Safety of yourself and the casualty

 Assess the casualty

 Treat the casualty

 Arrange the removal of the casualty to hospital or safe area

 Write a report / Communicate the status

 Principles of First Aid
(Dos in Giving First Aid) (Don’ts in Giving First Aid)

1. DO stay calm. 1. DON’T give food and

2. Do reassure and comfort drink to an
the victim. unconscious person.
3. Do check for a medical
bracelet indicating a
condition, such as
2. DON’T move an
epilepsy or diabetes. injured person unless
you need to place
4. Do loosen any tight
clothing him /her in the
recovery position.
5. Do keep the victim
covered to reduce shock
 Giving Care with Confidence
Every casualty needs to feel secure and safe in the
hands of the First Aider. You can create an air of
confidence and assurance by:

• Being in control – both of your own reactions

and of the problem.
• Working in a calm, skilful, methodical way.
• Being gentle but firm; speaking to the
casualty kindly but in a clear and purposeful
way
• Build up Trust (Talk to the casualty, explain
what you are going to do, try to answer
questions honestly)
 Characteristics of a Good First Aider
1. Gentle – does not cause pain and panic

2. Observant – notices all signs

3. Resourceful – makes the best use of things at

hand

4. Tactful – does not frighten the victim

5. Sympathetic – comforts and reassures the

 Responsibility of a First Aider
• To assess the situation quickly and safely and call
for appropriate help.
• To identify the level of injury or the nature of
illness affecting the casualty / victim.
• To give early and appropriate treatment in a
sensible order of priority.
• To write and pass on a report, give a further help if
its required.
 The ‘ABC’ of First Aid

• AIRWAY
• BREATHING
• CIRCULATION
 DRABC
 Danger

 Response

 Airway

 Breathing

 Circulation
D - DANGER

To yourself

To others

To casualty
 R - RESPONSE

• Gently “Shake and Shout” at the casualty

• Is the casualty is conscious?
• Is the casualty drowsy or confused?
• Is the casualty unconscious, but reacting?
• Is the casualty unconscious with no reaction?
• If unconscious, place the casualty in the stable side
position.
 A - AIRWAY
• Is the airway is open and clear?

• Is there noisy in breathing?

• Are there Potential obstruction such as blood etc?

• If so, open and clear the airway!

 HOW TO OPEN AN AIRWAY
• Tilt Head and Back and Lift Chin up with fingers
under the jaw to establish Airway (Move head as
little as possible if there may be a neck injury.)
 B - BREATHING

• Look for chest movements

• Listen for sounds for breathing

• Feel for breathes on your cheek

• If not breathing give 2 rescue breathes

 C - CIRCULATION
• Is there a carotid pulse?

• Is it strong?

• Is it regular”

• Is there a major blood loss?

• IF NO PULSE PRESENT THEN START CPR

( CIRCULATION PULSE RESPIRATION)
 Fainting & Unconsciousness
• Fainting is a temporary loss of
consciousness caused by temporary lack of
oxygenated blood to the brain.
• Other causes by:
 Reaction to pain,
 Exhaustion,
 Lack of food,
 Emotional stress,
 Long standing or sitting,
 Thirst and dehydration
 low blood sugar.
 Fainting & Unconsciousness
Signs & Symptoms
a. Extreme paleness
b. Profuse sweating
c. Dizziness
d. Nausea
e. Cold and Clammy Skin
f. Numbness and tingling of hands and
feet
 Fainting & Unconsciousness
Treatment
1. The aim is to put back blood to the brain:
• Check the ABC to find out if the casualty is
breathing.
• Loosen tight clothing.
• Elevate the person’s leg 8 to 12 inches to
allow the blood to flow to the brain.
• Give plenty of fresh air.
The casualty should regain consciousness within 5
minutes
NOSE BLEED
 The Do and Don’ts for First Aid Treatment
DIAGNOSIS
Nosebleed • Do not lean back.
• Leaning back can be harmful as
the blood could block the
windpipe, blocking the airway.
• Sit in a comfortable upright
position and lean forward
slightly.
• Then pinch your nose just below
the bony nose bridge and above
the fleshy lobes of the nostrils
until the bleeding is stemmed.
• Aftercare: Once the bleeding is
controlled, do not blow your
nose as this might dislodge the
clot and make you bleed again.
HEART
ATTACK
One of the
leading cause of
death in many
parts of the
world.
 Heart Attack (Acute Myocardial Infraction)

•A Heart attack occurs when an area of the

heart muscle is deprived of blood (oxygen) for
a prolonged period (usually more than 20 to
30 minutes)
•Usually results from severe narrowing or
complete blockage of a diseased coronary
artery and result in death of the heart muscle
cells supplied by the artery.
 Signs of Heart Attack
The most common signal of a heart attack is
an uncomfortable pressure, fullness,
squeezing or pain in the centre of the chest.
It usually lasts for 2 or more minutes and may
come and go.
Other signals may include:
•Sweating
•Nausea
•Shortness of breath
•A feeling of weakness
 Actions for Survival
• Know the warning signs. Have the person stop
whatever he or she is doing.
• Have the person sit or lie down comfortably
• If the person is conscious, give them a 300mg
tablet of aspirin to chew.
• Give nitro-glycerine tablets can be administered
to relieve the pain or Angina Pectoris. No more
that 3 tables within 10 minutes
• Call doctor or take the victim to the nearest
hospital
BURNS
 Classification of Burns
Heat (Thermal): This includes fire, steam and hot
object
Chemicals: This includes caustics, such as acids
and alkalis.
Electricity: This includes electric outlets, frayed
wires and faulty circuits.
Lightning: This includes electrical burns and
injuries during thunder storms.
Sunlight: This includes burns to the skin or eyes
due to the ultraviolet rays from
the sun.
 Caring for Burns
Chemical Burns - To care for chemical burns wash
the chemical from the body with water, flush the
area for 15 – 30 minutes, remove contaminated
clothing, shoes, socks and jewellery during the
wash. Apply dry a sterile dressing.
Electrical Burns –Make sure that the source of
electricity has been turned off, use dry stick or
board and wear rubber sole shoes.
 Caring for Burns
Electrical burns cont’d:
Treatment
1. Prepare for complications involving the airway
and heart.
2. Evaluate the burn. Look for entrance and exit
wound (enter the hand and exit the foot).
3. Apply dry sterile dressing to the burn sites.
4. Monitor ABC and treat for shock.
5. Prepare for removal to the hospital.
 Caring for Burns
Lightning Burns – Lightning burns occur when
someone is electrocuted during a thunder storm.
Treat as electrical shock
Sunlight (Radiation) – This is a superficial burn.
Treat – have bath and pat dry.
Friction (Brush Burns) – Spinning wheel or fast
moving rope – cool with plenty of water.
Thermal burns-remove clothing and treat as
electrical burns.
 The Do and Don’ts for First Aid Treatment
DIAGNOSIS
BURNS • Never put ice on the burn, as it
delay healing or cause extra
damage (think frostbite). Also
leave the butter in the kitchen,
unless you want to make it
worse.
• Do not break blisters and
attempt to remove the skin, as
it can cause infection.
1st Degree burn
• Put the burn part in cold water.
2nd Degree burn
• Put cold, wet dressing on burn.
Cover the burned part with a loose
bandage (or clean washed cotton
sheet for a larger area) and go to the
doctor.
3rd Degree burn
• Leave burned clothes on the skin. If
the face is burned, keep victim sitting
up. Keep airway open, tilt head back.
Evaluate burned arms, legs, hands.
Keep burn higher than heart. Call
ambulance.
 Poisoning
• Poison is any substance that when ingested, inhaled,
absorbed, applied to the skin, or produced within
the body in relativity small amounts injures the body
by its chemical action
• Treatment goals:
– Remove or inactivate the poison before it is absorbed
– Provide supportive care in maintaining vital organ systems
– Administer specific antidotes
– Implement treatment to hasten the elimination of the
poison
 Poisoning, Bites and Stings
A poison is a toxic substance – solid, liquid
or gas, if it enters the body may cause
harm or death.
4 main ways by which poison may enter
the body:
1. Swallowed (ingested) by Mouth
2. Inhalation (Breathing)
3. Absorption (Contact)
4. Injection (under the skin)
 Signs & Symptoms
Ingested poison
May include any of the following:
1. Burns or stains around the casualty’s mouth.
2. Breath odours, body odours.
3. Abnormal breathing and pulse rate
4. Dilated or constricted pupils
5. Sweating
6. Excessive saliva or foaming at the mouth
7. Pains in the mouth or throat, stomach, abdomen
8. Convulsion
9. Altered mental status including unconsciousness
 Assessment of Patients With
Ingested Poisons
• Use ABCs
• Monitor VS, LOC, ECG, and UO
• Assess laboratory specimens
• Determine what, when, and how much substance was
ingested
• Assess signs and symptoms of poisoning and tissue
damage
• Assess health history
• Determine age and weight
 Treatment
Swallowed Poison
1. Do not give anything by mouth, take to the
hospital at once, take the poison or
container with you.
2. Prepare to treat for shock. Carry the
casualty in the recover position, should
vomiting occur.
• Corrosive agents such as acids and alkalis
cause destruction of tissues by contact; do
not induce vomiting with corrosive agents
• Give plenty of fresh air and monitor ABC
 Treatment
Inhaled Poison
1. Look for possible sources that cause inhaled
poison before you try to save life, because your life
comes first. Make sure it is safe for you to enter
any building or area that I contaminated.
2. Remove the casualty from the source, give plenty
of fresh air.
3. Maintain an open airway, monitor the casualty’s
ABC.
4. Prepare for shock and take to the hospital.
 Management Patients With
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Inhaled carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin as
carboxy-hemoglobin, which does not transport oxygen
• Manifestations: CNS symptoms predominate
– Skin color is not a reliable sign and pulse oximetry is not
valid
• Treatment
– Get to fresh air immediately
– Perform CPR as necessary
– Administer oxygen: 100% or oxygen under hyperbaric
pressure
• Monitor patient continuously
 Treatment
Absorbed Poison
1. Remove the casualty from the source, remove
clothing, wash the affected area with soap and
water.
2. Monitor ABC and prepare to take to hospital,
give medicine to prevent allergic reactions
 Treatment
Injected Poison
1. Prepare for (anaphylactic) allergic shock/reaction.
2. Scrape away bees and wasp stingers and venom
sacs.
3. Place an ice-pack over the area to lessen the pain
and reduce swelling.
4. An aspirin moistened and applied to the area as a
dressing will take away the pain.
5. Give a dose of medicine, observe for symptoms of
allergic reactions. Monitor ABCs.
CHOKING
 The Do and Don’ts for First Aid Treatment
DIAGNOSIS

CHOKING • Slap the victim • Remain calm and encourage the victim to keep
back’s hard. coughing to try and clear the blockage.

• Using your fingers to • Stand slightly behind the person to one side.
force out the item • Support their chest with one hand. Lean the
out of the victim’s person forward so that the object blocking the
mouth. airway will come out of their mouth, rather
than going further down.
• Give at least 5 sharp blows between the
person’s shoulder blades with the heel on your
hand.
ASK! Are you choking? Stop after each blows to check if the blockage has
If the victim able to talk, cleared. If not, give up to five abdominal thrusts.
groan, wheeze or
cough, he is partially
choked.
CHOKING
 The Do and Don’ts for First Aid Treatment
DIAGNOSIS

CHOKING • Using your fingers to Steps in Abdominal thrusts

force out the item 1. Stand behind the person who is choking.
out of the victim’s 2. Place your arms around the waist and bend
mouth. them well forward.
3. Clench your fist and place it right and place it
right above the person’s navel (belly button)
4. Place your other hand on top, thrust both
hands backwards into their stomach with a
hard, upward movement.

Complete blockage Do it five times (1 cycle), stop each cycle to check if

the blockage has been cleared.
If the victim unable to
make any sound at all. Alert!
• Do not thrusts on pregnant and on a very large
sized adult.
 types of wound
• Contusion
• Abrasion
• Laceration
• Incision
• Puncture
• Gun Shot
• Amputation
• Degloved
 Wounds
Open Wounds
• A break in the skin’s surface that results in external bleeding and
may allow bacteria to enter the body that can cause infection
Abrasion
• The top layer of skin is removed with little or no blood loss
• Scrape
Laceration
• A cut skin with jagged, irregular edges and caused
by a forceful tearing away of skin tissue
Incisions
• Smooth edges and resemble a surgical or paper cut
 Wounds

Punctures
• Deep, narrow wounds such as
a stab wound from a nail or a
knife in the skin and underlying organs
Avulsion
• Flap of skin is torn loose and is either
hanging from the body or completely removed
Amputation
• Cutting or tearing off of a body part
such as a finger, toe, hand, foot, arm, or leg
 Wounds
What to Do:
• Wear gloves (if possible) and expose wound
• Control bleeding
• Clean wounds
• To prevent infection
• Wash shallow wound gently with soap and
water
• Wash from the center out / Irrigate with water
• Severe wound?
• Clean only after bleeding has stopped
 Wounds
• Wounds Care
• Remove small objects that do not flush out
by irrigation with sterile tweezers.
• If bleeding restarts, apply direct pressure.
• Use roller bandages (or tape dressing to the
body)
• Keep dressings dry and clean
• Change the dressing daily, or more often if it
gets wet or dirty.
 Wounds
• Signs of Wound Infection:
• Swelling, and redness around the wound
• A sensation of warmth
• Throbbing pain
• Fever / chills
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Red streaks
• Tetanus (lock jaw), should receive
injection in first 72 hours.
 Treatment for Wounds
•Rest
•Elevate
•Direct Pressure
•Clean
•Use material available to make bandage
•Tie bandage
 Dressings and Bandages
• The purpose of a dressing is to:
• Control bleeding
• Prevent infection and contamination
• Absorb blood and fluid drainage
• Protect the wound from further injury
• What to Do:
• Always wear gloves (if possible)
• Use a dressing large enough to extend
beyond the wound’s edges.
• Cover the dressing with bandages.
 Amputation
• What to Do:
• Control the bleeding
• Treat the victim for shock
• Recover the amputated part and whenever possible take it
with the victim
• To care for the amputated body part:
• The amputated part does not need to be cleaned
• Wrap the amputated part with a dry sterile gauze or other
clean cloth
• Put the wrapped amputated part in a plastic bag or other
waterproof container
• Keep the amputated part cool, but do not freeze
• Place the bag or container with the wrapped part on a bed
of ice
• Seek medical attention immediately
 Injuries to the Spine

Injuries to the spine can cause one to

become paralysed and reduces normal
body function and movement. Spinal
injuries are caused by forces to the
head, neck, back, chest, pelvis or legs.
A whiplash is caused by motor vehicle
accidents. The spine is a column
made up of 33 bones called
vertebrates.
 The Spine
The spine is a column made up of 33 bones
called vertebrates.

Cervical spine – 7 bones in neck

Thoracic spine – 12 bones in the upper
back
Lumbar spine – 5 bones in the lower back
Sacrum – 5 fused bones
Coccyx – 4 fused bones
 Signs & Symptoms of Spinal Injuries
A. Weakness, numbness or tingling sensation or a loss of
feeling in arms or legs.
B. Paralysis to the arms or legs.
C. Painful movements of arms and legs or no pain
sensation.
D. Pain or tenderness along the back of the neck or the
backbone.
E. Burning sensation along the spine or an extremity.
F. Deformity of the spine, angle of head and neck.
G. Loss of bladder and bowel control, difficulty
breathing.
H. Persistent erection priapism
 Treatment for Injuries of the Spine

1. Make certain the airway is open by using the jaw-

thrust manoeuvre.
2. Control serious bleeding – avoid moving the
injured part when applying dressing.
3. Always presume that an unconscious accident
patient has spinal injuries. Check distal pulse,
check sensation (feeling), motor function (ability
to move)
4. Do not attempt to splint fracture if there are
indications of spinal injuries.
 Treatment for Injuries of the Spine

5. Never move a casualty with spinal injuries

unless you must do so to provide A.R. or CPR
and to treat severe bleeding.
6. Keep the casualty still, stabilize or immobilize
the casualty’s head, neck and as much of the
body as possible.
7. Monitor casualty with possible spinal injury.
These casualties will go into shock.
Sometimes their chest muscles will be
paralyzed and they will go into respiratory
arrest.
 Fractures
A Fracture is a cracked, chipped, splintered or broken bone
caused by direct or indirect forces, strong twisting forces. Any
strong force to the extremities can cause a fracture, a
dislocation, a sprain, a strain and damage to soft tissues.
Types of Fractures
Simple (closed) - A simple fracture is when the bone is
clearly broken.
Compound - A compound fracture is when the bone is
Commuted (Open) broken in more than one place and into
many pieces.
Dislocation - This is when one end of the bone is pulled
or pushed out of the joint.
 Fractures
Types of Fractures cont’d
Complicated - This is when the fractured bone interferes
with an organ.
Greenstick - Greenstick fractures are commonly associated
with infants, toddlers whose bones
are soft and bend like a greenstick.
Depressed - A depressed fracture is referred to as a dent.
The bones are driven inwards mainly
in the skull.
Linear - This type of fracture mainly occurs in the head.
Linear fracture is a crack.
 Sign & Symptoms of Fractures
a. Pain – nerves surrounding the injury
have been pressed by swelling tissue or
broken bone ends.
b. Swelling – the injured area begins to
swell because blood from ruptured
blood vessels is collecting inside the
tissues.
c. Deformity – a part of the limb looks
different in size or shape (always
compare both arms and legs to one
another)
 Sign & Symptoms of Fractures
SPLINT –
Any hard/rigid material used to immobilize a fracture
S- Swelling
P- Pain
L- Loss of use
I- Irregularity
N- Numbness
T- Tenderness
S- Shortening
 Sign & Symptoms of Fractures

D- Deformity
D- Dislocation
E- Exposed bone
P - Patient heard sound of
broken bones
 Treatment
1. Assess the casualty before you focus on any
particular injury. Treat life threatening problems first.
Prioritize and manage other injuries.
2. Apply a dressing if there is an open wound. Check for
distal pulse (radial), sensation and motor function.
Distal pulse (circulation), sensation (feeling) motor
function (ability to move) check before and after
splinting.
3. Immobilized the extremity
4. Tie bandages above and below the injury
5. Check ABC
6. Prepare casualty for the hospital
 FIRST AID KIT
• Bandages
• strapping
• Gauze
• Gloves
• Alcohol swabs
• Hand sanitizer
• Thermometer
• Scissors
• Antibiotic Cream
• First Aid Manual