GENERAL FIRST

AID

 In times of emergency,
anyone who has even
elementary first aid
training, may be able to
save a life
~RED CROSS

DEFINITION OF
FIRST AID
First Aid is an immediate
care given to a person who
has been injured or
suddenly taken. It includes
self-help and home care if
assistance is not available
or delayed.

INTRODUCTION:
First is the immediate treatment
administered to a casualty or a victim of
injury or illness before the services of a
doctor or corpsman can be obtain.
Although the medical department has the
finest equipment and its personnel have
been trained in the most modern methods
of saving life and easing pain , there maybe
a time when your life or that of a friend
will depend on your knowledge of first aid.

You can save a life if you know what to do and

what not to do, and if you can act quickly and
calmly. If you are injured, you can save your
own injuries or by directing others toward
proper care. Remember, where medical help is
not readily available, apply self-aid and then
seek professional help or care. The basic rules
for first aid given in this handout are to help
yourself and your comrades when it is
necessary.

You must remember that when

administering first aid, the
following should be his primary
objectives to save life, to prevent
causing further injury and to
prevent unnecessary sufferings
on the part of the casually.

ROLES OF FIRST AID

1.) It is the bridge that fills can between the
victim and the physician.
2.) It is not intended to complete with, nor
take the place of the place of the services
of the physician.
3.) It ends when the services of a physicians
begins.

OBJECTIVES OF
THE FIRST AID
1.) To alleviate suffering
2.) To prevent added/further injury or
danger
3.) To prolong life

NEED & VALUE OF FIRST AID

1.) To minimize if not totally prevent accident.
2.) To prevent added injury or danger
3.) To train people to the right thing and right time
4.) Accident happens and sudden illnesses are
common and often serious
5.) People very often harm rather than help
6.) Proper and immediate care is necessary to
save life or limb

GUIDELINES FOR GIVING

EMERGENCY CARE
1.) Getting started
1.1 Planning of action
1.2 Gathering of needed materials
1.3 Initial response as follows
A- Ask for help
I- Intervene
D- Do not further harm

 ASK FOR HELP- in a crisis, time of essence. The more

quickly you organize an emergency, and the faster you
call for medical assistance, the sooner the victim will get
help. Immediate care can greatly the outcome of an
emergency.
INTERVENE- To intervene means to do something for
the victim that will help achieve a positive outcome to an
emergency. Sometimes getting medical help will be all
you can do, and this alone may save a life. In other
situation, however you may become actively involved in
the victims initial care by giving first aid. Let the golden
rules of emergency care guide your effort.

 DO NOT FURTHER HARM- Once you

have begun first aid, you want to be
certain you dont do anything that might
causes the victims condition to worsen.
Certain actions should always be avoided
by keeping them in mind, you will be able
to avoid adding to or worsening the
victims illness or injuries.

2.) Emergency Action Principles

2.1 Survey the scene
2.2 Do a primary survey of the victim
2.3 Activate medical assistance/transfer
facility
2.4 Do a secondary survey of the victim

 Survey the scene- is the scene is safe?

- what happened?
- how many people are injured?
- identify yourself as a trained first aider

 Do a primary survey of the victimCheck for vital body functions: BREATHING

and CIRCULATION by following the ABC stepsA. AIRWAY
> Is the victim is conscious?
> If the victim is conscious, asses breathing
as
described in B.
> If the victim is unconscious, start
immediately airway management

B. Breathing
- Is the victim breathing?
if the victim is breathing is it shallow or deep? Does
he/she appear to be choking? Is he cyanotic, suggesting
poor oxygenation? If the victim appears to have any
difficulty breathing, immediately support his breathing
(maintain adequate open airway)
if the victim is not breathing provide initial
ventilation

C. Circulation
- Is the victims heart beating?
if it I, then how is it (assess pulse)
- Provide other care as necessary.
if not, perform CPR
- Is he severely bleeding?
If he is, control bleeding

Activate medical assistance (AMA) or

Transfer facility
- in some emergencies, youll have enough time to call for
specific medical advice before administering first aid. But
in some situation, youll need to attend to the victim first.
Depending on the situation:
- a bystander should make the telephone call for help
(if available)
- a bystander will be requested to call for a physician
- somebody will be asked to arrange for transfer facility

Information to be remembered in
activating medical assistance
- what happened
-number of persons injured
- extent of injury and first aid given
- the telephone number from where you
are calling
-person who activated medical assistance
must drop the phone last

Do a secondary survey of the victim

- interview the victim
- introduce your self
- get permission to give care
- ask the victims name
- ask what happened
ask do you have any pain or discomfort?
do you have any allergies?
are you taking any medication?

Check the vital signs:

- determine radial or carotid pulse
(pulse rate per minute)
adult 60-90/min
child 80-100/min
- determine breathing(respiration rate)
- determine skin appearance
- look at the victims face and lips
- record skin appearance
- temperature
- moisture
- color

- Do the head-to-toe examination

start with the head. Look and feel for cut
bruises and compare pupils of both eyes, dilated
pupils involve bleeding and state of shock.
Constricted pupils may mean heat stroke or
Drug overdose. Unequal pupils may suspect
head injury or stroke.
-check for fluid or blood in ears, nose and
mouth.
- check and compare both collar bones and
shoulder.
- check the chest and rib cage.

- check for the victims abdomen for tenderness by

pressing lightly with flat part of our fingers.
- check the hip bone by pressing slowly downward and
inward for fracture
- check one leg at a time
- check one arm at a time
- check the spinal column by placing the victim into side
lying down position and press gently from the cervical
region down to the lumbar for possible injury
- record all the assessment including the time
- keep the injured person lying down, his head level
with his feet
- keep the injured person warm and guard against
chilling

The golden rules of emergency care

2.5 What to do:
Do obtain consent, when possible.
Do think the worst, its best to administer first aid for
the gravest possibility.
Do call or send for help.
Do remember and identify yourself to the victim
Do provide comfort and emotional support.
Do respect the victims modesty and physical privacy
Do be as calm and as direct as possible
Do care for the most serious injuries first.
Do assist the victim with his or her prescription
medication

 Do keep onlookers away from the injured person

Do handle the victim to a minimum
Do loosen tight clothing

2.6 What not to do:

Do not further harm the victim like the following:
Trying to arouse an unconscious victim.
Administering fluid/alcoholic drink.
Do not let the victim see his/her injury.
Do not leave the victim alone except to get help.
Do not assume that the victims obvious injuries are
the only ones..
Do not deny a victims physical or emotional coping
limitation.
Do not make any unrealistic promises.
Do not trust the judgment of the confused victim.
Do not require the victim to make decision.

Dos and DONTs of First Aid

When giving first aid to casualty, remember the following:
1. DO act promptly but calmly.
2. DO reassure the casualty and gently examine
him/her to determine the needed first aid
3. DO give lifesaving measures as required
4. DONT position a victim on his back, if he/she is
unconscious or the wound on his/her face or neck
5. DONT remove clothing from an injured victim by
pulling or tearing it off.
6. DONT touch or try to clean dirty wounds, including
burns.
7. DONT remove dressing and band-ages once they
have been put on a wound.

8. DONT loosen a tourniquet once it has been applied

9. DONT move a casualty who has a fracture until it has
been properly splinted, unless it is absolutely necessary.
10. DONT give fluids by mouth to a casualty who is
unconscious, nauseated, or vomiting, or who has an
abdominal or neck wound
11. DONT permit the head of a casualty with a head injury
to be lower than his body.
12. DONT try to push protruding intestine or brain tissue
back into a wound
13. DONT put any medication on a burn.
14. DONT administer first aid measures which are
unnecessary or beyond your ability.

Characteristics of a good first aider

1. Observant -should notices all signs.
2. Resourceful -should make the best use of
thing at hand
3. Gentle
-should not cause pain
4. Tactful
-should not alarm the victim
5. Sympathetic -should be comforting

HURRY CASES in first aid

A. Stoppage of breathing
-Critical time is four minutes to restore the victim to
normal before brain damage take place:
Management of the Casualty:
1. Clean the Airway
2. Inflate the lungs with five quick breaths(proceed to
CPR)
B. Severe bleeding
- Bleeding and Hemorrhage mean the same thing,
namely that blood is escaping from arteries, capillary
vessels, or veins.

 Types of hemorrhage
1. Arterial Bleeding blood from an open artery. The
color of the blood is bright red. The blood spurts
which are synchronized with the pulse.
2. Venous Bleeding blood from an open vein. The
color of the blood is dark red. The blood escapes in
a slow steady flow.
3. Capillary Hemorrhage blood from damage
capillaries. The color of the blood is intermediate
between bright and dark red . The blood only oozes
from the wound. This is the common type of
hemorrhage.

 Controlling external bleeding:

1. Direct pressure
a) Digital pressure (pressure points)
-Facial
-Temporal
-Carotid
-Subclavian
-Auxiliary
-Brachial
-Femoral
b) Compress and Bandages
c) Ligation tying
d) Torsion Twisting
2. Elevate the injured part to lessen the flow of blood.
3. Indirect pressure - tourniquet

C. Poisoning
1. Swallowed antidote is to dilute with water or milk to
lessen the concentration of the poison. Milk coats the
lining of the intestines
2. Inhaled proper ventilation at once(open air).
3. Contacted poison wawsh at once with soap and
water. Bath soap is recommended.
4. Injected as in snake bite

D. Fracture
-is a break in the continuity of the bone
Kinds of fracture:
1. open(compound) fracture bone has broken through skin
2. Closed(simple) fracture skin has not been penetrated
on both ends.
Signs and symptoms
3. Deformity present when injured limb lies in unnatural
position or it is angulated where there is no joint
4. Pain at the point of fracture
5. Crepitation (grating sound)
-felt and heard when bones rub together
-never move the injured extremity to determine crepitation

4.Discoloration (echymosis, bruising)

5. Loss of motion
6. Exposed bones
7. Swelling (endema)
8. Possible loss of pulse below fracture

E. Splinting
- a device to immobilize an injured part of the body.
Reasons for splinting:
1.relieve pain by minimized movement
2.prevent further damage to injury site
General Principles of Splinting
1. Splint fracture where it lies DO NOT reposition. If
fracture is severely angulated, straighten it with a
gentle pull so that limb can be incorporated into a
splint.
2. Immobilized fracture site before moving casualty.
Splint should be immobilized joint above and below
the fracture site

3. Pad splints before applying.

4. Dress all wounds and/or open fracture(exposed bones)
prior to splinting.
5. Check for neurovascular function before, during and
after application of splint.

F. Burns
- Is an injury that results from heat, chemical agent or
radiation. It may vary in:
depth, size and severity

Scalds is a burn caused by a liquid.

Classification of burns:
1.Dept
a. First degree the outer skin is reddened and welted or
slightly swollen
b. Second degree the under skin is affected and blisters
are formed
c. Third degree the skin is destroyed and tissues
underneath are damaged.

2.Causative Agent
a.
b.
c.
d.

Thermal agent (heat)

Electricity
Radiation burns
Chemical agent (acids, alkali)

Treatment for first degree burn

1.Immerse burnt area in cold water until the patient
ceases to feel pain
2. When it is impossible to immerse the burned
area, moist cold towels should be applied and
renewed frequently
3. Follow this application for dry dressing
4. If desired a simple burn ointment may be
applied

Treatment for second degree burn

1. Follow steps prescribed in the first degree
except do not apply any burn ointment.
2. Gently blot area dry with sterile gauge or clean
cloth.
3. Apply sterile gauze or clean as protective
dressing.
4. Never break a blister.

Treatment for third degree burn

1. Do not remove adhered particles of charred
clothing
2. Cover burned area with sterile dressing or
freshly laundered sheet.
3. Do no allow victim to walk
4. If medical help is not available for one hour or
more and the victim is conscious, and no
vomiting, give a weak solution of salt and soda.

G. Fainting
- loss of consciousness caused by a temporary reduction
of the blood supply to the brain:
Causes:
1. Emotional
3. Hunger
2. Fatigue
Signs and symptoms
1. Weakness
4. Dizziness
2. Pallor
5. Cold Sweat
3. Unconsciousness

Treatment
1. Seat victim with knees far apart and hold
head far down between knees for about
five minutes
2. If victim consciousness return keep victim
quiet for about 15 minutes

H. Unconsciousness
- a person who does not respond to any spoken words or
obeys a shouted command.
1. Check for the ABC
2. Check for hemorrhage
3. Check for fracture
4. Check for the size and reaction of the pupils to light
a. Dilated pupils (possible cause) shock, cardiac
arrest, brain damage, substance
abuse(amphetamines, marijuana), disorder of central
nervous system
b. Constricted pupils Head injury, stroke, substance
abuse (narcotics)

6. Eyelid Response
7. Response to speech
8. Response to pain

Hindrances in giving emergency care

1. Unfavorable surrounding
1.1 night time
1.2 crowded city streets, churches, shopping mall
1.3 busy highways
1.4 cold or rainy weather
1.5 lack of necessary materials or helpers
2. The presence of crowds
2.1crowds curiously watch, sometimes heckle,
sometimes offer incorrect advice.
2.2 they may demand haste in transportation or attempt
other improper procedures.
2.3 a good examination is difficult while a crowd look on.

3. Pressures from victims or relatives

3.1 the victim usually welcome help, but if he is
drunk, he is open hard to examine and handle,
and is often misleading in his response
3.2the hysteria of the relatives of the victim, the
evidence of pain, blood and possible early
death, exert great pressure on the first aider.
3.3 the first aider may fail to examine carefully
and may be persuaded to do what he would
know in calm moments to be wrong.

The first aider can meet all these difficulties

forewarned is forearmed- he should remember
the few cases demand haste, or good
examination is important and can be done slowly
and he has no other job or appointment as
important and so gratifying as saving a life or
limb.

END OF LECTURE