INTRODUCTION TO FIRST AID

First aid is the first skilled assistance/care given to a casualty or someone in need
before arrival of medical aid or doctor.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF FIRST AID

To
To
To
To

save life
prevent the condition of casualty from becoming worst
promote quick recovery
save cost

SCOPE OF FIRST AID

Diagnosis: This is a means of gathering information about the casualty before
giving any care. This information can be gathering through

History: On getting to any incident scene, there are always by standers

around. By asking them about the event, you will be able to know what
happened to the casualty and also the assistance you will be able to render.
Signs: Signs are things you can find on the scene and also on your casualty.
Examples are blood, broken bottles, parts of cars in the case of an accident,
etc. From what you see from at the scene, you will be able to assist the
casualty.
Symptoms: They are things the casualty tells you about him/herself. Things
such as pains, dizziness etc, can not been seen by the first aider but can be
felt by the casualty. So again from the symptoms, you can gather information
about the event and know what assistance you can give to the casualty.

N/B: It is not a most that you will get all the forms of diagnosis before you manage.
Any of them form to assist you in your diagnosis.
Management/Care: management is the assistance/care given to the casualty
before taking him/her to the hospital or pending when medical aid arrives.
Management should be given according to priority. You always treat breathing cases
followed by bleeding, broken bones and the rest.
Transportation: After management, always ensure you refer or carry the casualty
to the hospital, home or comfortable place to rest.
Record Keeping: Always keep record of the event as well as details of the
casualty. These data will help in tracing and reuniting the casualty with their
families as well as help the doctor in his own diagnosis.
WHO IS A FIRST AIDER?

A first aider is someone that has been trained, tested and certified pass by a
recognized organization to carry out first aid activities.
Qualities Of A Good First Aider

Be
Be
Be
Be
Be
Be
Be

resourceful
sympathetic
smart
confident
observant
bold
gentle

UNCONSCIOUSNESS
Unconsciousness is defined as a state of insensibility due to an upset in the
functioning of the brain.
Types/ Stages of Unconsciousness:

Stupor/partial unconsciousness: this is a state of insensibility where some

organs may be responding to external stimuli. In most cases, the casualty will
be breathing
Coma/Complete unconsciousness: Here, there is no responds from any of
the sense organ hence the casualty does not respond to external stimuli.
Also, the casualty may or may not be breathing.

General Management of Unconsciousness:

All the causes of unconsciousness have their own management but once the
casualty is unconsciousness, you just give the general management.
D Danger: Always ensure that the area is safe for you to carry out any first aid
activities. You must ensure the safety of yourself as the first aider, the bye standers
and finally the casualty. Your safety is most important because if you are not careful,
you can be also be a casualty if the danger is still around. The next to worry about
are the bye standers. Also if the danger is not taken care of, they can also be a
casualty hence increasing the number of casualty that you have to manage. The
last to consider in terms of danger is the casualty because he/she is already a
affected by the event.
R Response: After the area is safe, you check the responsiveness of the casualty
to know if he/she can respond to Alert, Voice, Pain or else unresponsive.
A Airway: ensure that you open the airway so that air can go in and out of the
body.

B Breathing: Once the airway is open, you check for breathing by Looking at the
chest if it is going up and down, the same time, put your ear between the mouth
and nose to Listen if you can hear any sound, a sign of breathing and your chick at
the nose and mouth to Feel for breathing. If the casualty is breathing, place in a
recovery position.
C Circulation/ C.P.R: But if the casualty is not breathing, you carry out CPR. For an
adult, you give 2 kiss of life followed by 30 chest compression. For a child, the ratio
is same with that of an adult but the difference is one hand is used for the chest
compression. In the case of an infant, the ratio is 5:30: 2 and only two fingers are
used for the chest compression.
A first aider should not stop giving CPR unless the following conditions are met

The first aider is tired

The casualty recovers
Medical aid arrives

D Defibrillation: Defibrillation is the process in which an electrical device

(defibrillator) sends an electrical shock to the heart to stop an abnormal heart beat
hence returning to the normal heart beat.
Note: After checking for breathing, if the casualty is breathing, place in a recovery
position but if not breathing, start CPR.
The Recovery Position: It is a position a casualty that is recovering and is
breathing is placed.
Aim of Recovery Position

The airway is open to allow the free flow of air in and out of the body.
The head is place to the side so that liquids will be coming off so as not to
block the airway.
The chest is off the ground to ease the expansion and contraction of the
chest.

Causes of Unconsciousness:
F- Fainting
I Infantile convulsion/imbalance temperature
S Stroke
H Head injury
S - Shock

H Heart attack
A Anaphylactics shock
P Prison
E Epilepsy
D Diabetes

BLEEDING
Bleeding is the escape of blood from a damaged blood vessel.
Types of Bleeding

Arterial Bleeding: This is the damage to the artery. The blood is bright red
in colour and spurts in rhythm with the heart beat.
Venous Bleeding: Here, the damage is done on the vain. The blood is dark
red and flows gently.
Capillary Bleeding: This is damage to the capillary. The blood oozes out and
the blood lost is minimal.

Kinds of Bleeding

Internal bleeding: This is bleeding from internal organs of the body and it is
notice as blood comes out from the natural orifices of our body i.e. eyes,
mouth, nose, ear, urinary tracts, vagina, anus.
External bleeding: This is the out flow of blood externally.

Stages of Bleeding

Primary Stage: This is when the bleeding occurs right after a cut or a
damaged blood vessel.
Secondary Stage: This refers to bleeding that occurs some minutes after
the blood vessel is damaged.
Reactionary Stage: This happens due to the mismanagement of a wound.

Signs and symptoms of bleeding

skin becomes cold and clammy.

Feels faint and dizzy.

Pulse is weak and rapid,

Face and lips become pale.

Restless and complains of thirst.

Breathing becomes shallow and fast., may yawn ,sigh or gasp for air.