Welcome back! Our aim today is to provide you with the basic knowledge in First Medical Aid.

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Principles of First Aid

First aid is the initial/emergency treatment or care of a
suddenly sick or injured person before medical personnel arrive. It is the vital immediate care of an injured or suddenly sick person applies as soon as possible after an accident or sudden illness. It is given to prevent death or further injury, to counteract shock or relieve pain. This prompt care and attention prior to the arrival of qualified medical personnel can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, or between a full or partial recovery. It applies to all ranks

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The main aims of first aid are to:

Preserve life - this includes the life of the
casualty, bystander and rescuer. Protect the casualty from further harm ensure the scene is safe. Provide pain relief - this could include the use of ice packs or simply applying a sling. Prevent the injury or illness from becoming worse - ensure that the treatment you provide does not make the condition worse. Provide reassurance.
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WHO?
All crew members should be prepared to carry

out 1st aid, within their capabilities, in the emergency situation. A casualty who is not breathing effectively, or is bleeding heavily, requires immediate aid. Prompt effective first aid gives the casualty a much better chance of a good recovery. It is important that prompt action does not lead to panic, and the first aider should form a plan of action. Try to remain calm and think your actions through.
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On finding a casualty:
Look to your own safety dont become the

next casualty; Remove the casualty from danger; Send for help rise Alarm Start giving treatment.

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Priorities:
Restore breathing and heart beat; Control bleeding, remove poisons; Prevent further injuries.

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No Respiration/Heart beat: Immediate Actions

Victim Assessment If there is one person with a problem: * How serious is the situation? * Are there life-threatening problems? * Is the person conscious? Then you need not check breathing or pulse. * Is the person not conscious? Then CHECK THE UNCONSCIOUS VICTIM.
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Check to see if the person is conscious.

Tap or gently shake the person and shout, Are you
okay? But do not shake someone who might have a neck or back injury. That could make it worse. The causes of unconsciousness are many and difficult to determine. You must first take care of the immediate threats to life. Check for breathing and heartbeat. If breathing / heart beat are OK and there are no treatable signs or symptoms, place the casualty in the Recovery Position and monitor closely.

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Recovery Position:
The patient placed in a "face to-the-floor" position, and with arms and legs arranged in order to stabilize this position. This position ensures that an open airway (breezing) is maintained.

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Rescue Breathing and CPR

Doing CPR the wrong way or on a person whose heart is still beating can cause serious harm. Do not do CPR unless: An adult is not breathing normally (may be gasping for breath), or a child is not breathing at all. The person does not breathe or move in response to rescue breaths. No one with more training in CPR than you is present. If you are the only one there, do the best you can. If the person does not respond do not delay, get the patient on his back on a hard surface and follow these steps:

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Step 1: Check for breathing for 5 to 10 seconds.

Kneel next to the person with your head close to his
or her head. Look to see if the person's chest rises and falls. Listen for breathing sounds. Put your cheek near the person's mouth and nose to feel whether air is moving out. If an adult is not breathing normally or if a child is not breathing at all, roll the person onto his or her back. If you think the person might have a neck or back injury, gently roll the person's head, neck, and shoulders together as a unit.
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Step 2: Start rescue breaths.

Put your hand on the person's forehead, and
pinch the person's nostrils shut with your thumb and finger. Use your other hand to tilt the chin upward to keep the airway open. Take a normal breath (not a deep one), and place your mouth over the person's mouth, making a tight seal. For a baby, place your mouth over the baby's mouth and nose. Blow into the person's mouth for 1 second, and watch to see if the person's chest rises. If the chest does not rise, tilt the person's head again, and give another breath. Between rescue breaths, remove your mouth from the person's mouth and take a normal breath. Let his or her chest fall, and feel the air escape. If the person is still not breathing normally after 2 rescue breaths, start chest compressions.
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Step 3: Start chest compressions.

For an adult or child older than 1 year: Kneel next to the person. Use your fingers to locate the end of the person's breastbone, where the ribs come together. Place two fingers at the tip of the breastbone. Place the heel of the other hand right above your fingers (on the side closest to the person's face).

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Positioning your hands for chest compressions:

For adults and larger children, use both hands to give compressions. Stack

your other hand on top of the one that you just put in position. Lace the fingers of both hands together, and raise your fingers so they do not touch the chest. For smaller children, use the heel of one hand to give compressions. Straighten your arms, lock your elbows, and centre your shoulders directly over your hands.

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Positioning your arms and body for doing chest compressions:

Press down in a steady rhythm, using your body
weight. The force from each thrust should go straight down onto the breastbone, pressing it down 4 cm to 5 cm for an adult or from onethird to one-half of the chest's depth for a child. Give 30 compressions. Push hard and push fast (at a rate of 100 compressions per minute). After 30 compressions, give 2 rescue breaths. Keep repeating the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives or until the person is breathing normally.
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For a baby under 1 year:

Picture a line connecting the nipples, and place
two fingers on the baby's breastbone just below that line. Press the chest one-third to one-half of the way down. Give 30 compressions. After 30 chest compressions, give 2 rescue breaths. Keep giving repeating the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives or the baby is breathing normally.
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Bleeding: Immediate Actions

A human body contains approximately 5

litres of blood. A healthy adult can lose up to 0,5 litres blood without ill effect, but the loss of more than this can be life threatening. Hemorrhage from major blood vessels can occur so rapidly that unless controlled, death can occur in a few minutes.

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How to stop bleeding from a skin wound

If emergency treatment is not needed,
bleeding can usually be stopped by applying steady, direct pressure and elevating the wound.

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Stop the bleeding

Have the injured person lie down and elevate the site that is bleeding. Remove any visible objects in the wound that are easy to remove. Control the
bleeding before trying to clean the wound. Remove or cut clothing from around the wound. Remove any jewellery from the general area of the wound so if the area swells, the jewellery will not affect blood flow. Apply steady, direct pressure for a full 15 minutes. Use a clock15 minutes can seem like a long time. Resist the urge to peek after a few minutes to see whether bleeding has stopped. If blood soaks through the cloth, apply another one without lifting the first. If there is an object in the wound, apply pressure around the object, not directly over it. If moderate to severe bleeding has not slowed or stopped after 15 minutes, continue direct pressure and elevate the injured area while transporting the injured person to a medical facility. Do not use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Do all you can to keep the wound clean and avoid further injury to the area. If after 15 minutes of steady pressure mild bleeding (more than just oozing small amounts of blood) recurs when the pressure is released, reapply direct pressure to the wound for another 15 minutes. Direct pressure may be applied up to 3 times for 15 minutes each (45 minutes total). If mild bleeding continues after 45 minutes of direct pressure, use the Check Your Symptoms section to determine your next steps.

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Watch for signs of Shock

While following the steps to stop the bleeding, watch for signs of shock in the injured person, including: Weakness, dizziness, and fainting. Cool, pale, clammy skin. Weak, fast pulse. Shallow, fast breathing. Low blood pressure. Extreme thirst, nausea, or vomiting. Confusion or anxiety.
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Shock
Definition: Shock is a decrease in the vital functions of the various organs of the body, caused by an inadequate supply of blood or oxygen deficiency. Shock may develop as the result of sudden illness or injury, or bleeding. When the body cannot get enough blood to the vital organs, it goes into shock. Sometimes even a mild injury will lead to shock. Shock is a life-threatening condition. If a person develops signs of shock, begin treatment immediately.

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Prompt treatment can save the person's life.

Have the person lie down. If there is an injury to the head, neck, or

chest, keep the legs flat. Otherwise, raise the person's legs at least 30 cm. If the person vomits, roll him or her to one side to let fluids drain from the mouth. Use care if there could be an injury to the back or neck. Stop any bleeding, and splint any broken bones. Keep the person warm but not hot. Put a blanket under the person, and cover him or her with a sheet or blanket, depending on the weather. If the person is in a hot place, try to keep the person cool. Relieve pain as quickly as possible. Try to keep the person calm.

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Choking Rescue Procedure (Heimlich Manoeuvre)

Overview Choking is usually caused by food or an object stuck in the windpipe. A person who is choking cannot talk, cough, or breathe, and may turn grey or blue. The Heimlich manoeuvre can help get the food or object out. WARNING: Do not try the Heimlich manoeuvre unless you are sure the person is choking.
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Heimlich Manoeuvre
The Heimlich manoeuvre is an emergency technique for preventing suffocation when a victim's airway becomes blocked. It can be used safely on both adults and children, but is not recommended for infants less than 1 year old.
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Heimlich Manoeuvre
If the person is conscious and standing, first ask them to bend forward and cough. If this fails:
process (not on the xiphoid process or over the lower rib cage). One hand makes a fist, with the thumb against the abdomen. The other hand grasps the fist of the first hand. With a sharp movement of the hands presses up and into the abdomen, to dislodge the foreign body.

Stand behind them. Put your arms around his abdomen, mid-way between umbilicus and xiphoid

With a foreign body in the airway of an unconscious patient, compressions should be performed instead of the Heimlich manoeuvre2. However the method for performing the Heimlich manoeuvre in an unconscious patient is:
hand in the upper abdominal area below the xiphoid process. Repeated thrusts may be needed.

The manoeuvre can be performed with the casualty lying on their back. Sit astride the unconscious victim (above the knees) and place the heel of a

Sweep the mouth with a finger to remove the foreign body.

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Chocking hazard:
Children
The Heimlich manoeuvre can be used in older children.

The Heimlich manoeuvre should not be

performed on small children. Back blows (use the heel of the hand to strike forcefully between the scapulae, with the patient leaning forwards) or chest thrusts should be used instead
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Electrical Shock

First Aid: 1. If safely possible, shut off the electrical current. Unplug the cord, remove the fuse from the fuse box, or turn off the circuit breakers if possible. Often, simply turning off the appliance itself will not stop the flow of electricity. 2. Call for medical help. 3. If the current can't be turned off, use a non-conducting object, such as a broom, chair, rug, or rubber doormat to push the victim away from the source of the current. Don't use a wet or metal object. If possible, stand on something dry and non-conducting, such as a mat or folded newspapers. Do not attempt to rescue a victim near active high-voltage lines. 4. Once the victim is free from the source of electricity, check the victim's airway, breathing, and pulse. If either has stopped or seems dangerously slow or shallow, initiate first aid (CPR). 5. If the victim has a burn, remove any clothing that comes off easily, and rinse the burned area in cool running water until the pain subsides. Give first aid for burns. 6. If the victim is faint, pale, or shows other signs of shock , lay the victim down, with the head slightly lower than the trunk of the body and the legs elevated, and cover the person with a warm blanket or a coat. 7. Stay with the victim until medical help arrives. 8. Electrical injury is frequently associated with explosions or falls that can cause additional traumatic injuries, including both obvious external injuries and concealed internal injuries. Avoid moving the victim's head or neck if a spinal injury is suspected. Administer appropriate first aid as needed for other wounds or fractures.

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Do Not:
DO NOT touch the victim with your bare hands while

the person is still in contact with the source of electricity. DO NOT remove dead skin or break blisters if the victim has acquired burns. DO NOT apply ice, butter, ointments, medications, fluffy cotton dressings, or adhesive bandages to a burn. DO NOT touch the skin of someone who is being electrocuted. DO NOT get within 20 feet of someone who is being electrocuted by high-voltage electrical current until the power is turned off. DO NOT move a victim of electrical injury unless there is immediate danger.

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Carrying Methods
Firemans Lift

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Drag Method:
The following handling method is called
Drag Method: Unbutton the casualty's jacket and pull it back under the head. Pull the casualty along the ground. Should preferably not be done if help is available.

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Fireman's Lift.
The following way to carry an injured or unconscious person may be efficient when the carrier need to have one arm free.

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Four-hand-seat
The following method is very suitable for transporting a casualty with two first aiders. This method is used to carry a conscious casualty who can assist the bearers by using one or two arms to hold on.

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Two-hand-seat.
Two first aiders are to carry a casualty who is unable to assist the bearers.

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Fore-and-aft-carry
The following method is very suitable for transporting a casualty with two first aiders. This method is used to carry a casualty with serious injuries up or down stairs or along passageways.

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Chair method
The following method is very suitable for transporting a casualty with two first aiders. This method is used to carry a casualty with serious injuries up or down stairs or along passageways.

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Using Stretchers:
Three Mans Lift Clothes Lift
Correct lifting method

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Conclusion
Each emergency is different, so it is impossible to provide you with a precise list of things you need to do for every emergency. However, if you follow the principles of first aid as outlined, you should deliver appropriate care, even if you are not sure of what the underlying problem is. However, it is important to understand that first aid has its limitations and does not take the place of professional medical treatment.
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