First Aid Facts You Need To Know

It isn’t expected from a lay person to save a person’s life, but one can offer basic first aid assistance in order to try and help the affected individual and possibly offer them a favourable outcome if they are choking, drowning or in cardiac arrest.

Basic first aid knowledge is also important in aiding patients who may suffer from insect bites and stings, burns, open wounds and fractures. Level 3 first aid trained individuals can even assist in helping with childbirth. First aid skills are also important to help one to manage the initial stages of a stroke or a heart attack.

6 basic first aid facts that may encourage one to take part in a first aid course

1. The average time it takes an ambulance to arrive to the scene of a medical emergency can be around 8 minutes and it can take longer in more rural areas. A blocked airway can result in someone’s death within 4 minutes as brain cells die without oxygen at that time interval. Simply knowing how to open and maintain an airway in this situation gives the patient a fighting chance.

2. Statistics from St. John’s Ambulance show that in the U.K. alone around 140 000 people die each and every year in situations where basic first aid could have been beneficial. These statistics include just less than 900 people who choked, 2500 people who had a blocked airway and died and 29 000 people from cardiac arrest.

3. Many people don’t know how to perform proper CPR even though the basic principles of the procedure have been around for more than 400 years. Nearly 60% of U.K residents don’t feel confident enough to attempt to save a life and of those, 24% say they would rather wait for emergency medical personnel or someone else who has the proper skills to attend to the patient. Proper, high quality CPR can not only improve the patient’s prognosis but may end up saving their lives.

4. Close to 90% of teenagers have been exposed to some or other medical emergency. 80% of them felt that they would feel more secure and much safer if they had basic first aid knowledge which they could use in a given situation. This group of individuals would be excellent candidates for first aid training. This is not only because they're young, energetic and willing to learn but also because they're exposed to the most low impact injuries (skateboard and bicycle injuries, etc.)

5. More than 80% of parents with small children who were surveyed said that they wouldn’t know what to do if their children were to stop breathing or started to choke. Drowning incidents occur often and knowing how to perform CPR on a small child can very possibly save their lives.

READ Parents & Babysitters: First Aid Guide for Children

6. Level 1 and 2 first aid courses as well as BLS (basic life support) workshops are offered by institutions such as St. John’s Ambulance and the Red Cross as well as by trained nurses and doctors around large towns and cities. Community centres in smaller areas may organize such workshops in conjunction with the local hospitals as well. One can contact the mentioned institutions or inquire at your local hospital for any further information.

Basic Principles Of First Aid

The 3 "P's"

• To preserve life – the main aim of medical care, which includes first aid, is to reduce the threat of death and attempt to save lives.
• To prevent any further harm – this includes preventing any further injury from occurring such as can happen when moving a patient or to prevent excessive bleeding from occurring.
• To promote recovery – this involves trying to start the recovery process from the onset of injury. A basic example would be such as applying a plaster to a wound.

Be calm and don't panic

It can be a nerve-wrecking experience when approaching a trauma scene or even visualizing a bleeding wound, if you're not used to it. In a situation where your skills are needed, it's always a good idea to remain calm and collected. This will not only benefit yourself but also any other person who may be assisting you with an injured patient and even the patient themselves.

Do no harm

Try not moving a patient if it isn't necessary. You could do more harm if there's an issue such as a suspected fracture in the neck or back. Also, one shouldn't try removing any impaled or embedded objects that may be present as this can cause more harm than good. Instead, these wounds should be dressed appropriately and the patient transferred to a facility where the object can be removed.

Good quality CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can save lives

Studies showed that only good quality CPR can saves lives in a patient in cardiac arrest. Chest compressions alone have been noted to be just as effective as delivering rescue breaths alone.

• There should be 100 compressions per minute.
• Compression must be deep enough, at least 2/3 of the chest cavity must be compressed.
• The rescuer must come all the way back up when compressing and before initiating the next compression.
• There should be minimal interruptions between chest compressions. If one rescuer gets tired then another person should be waiting nearby to take over with compressions.

Time does count

This is especially true for situations such as strokes and heart attacks where timeous treatment is of utmost importance. The reason for this is because these two medical emergencies involve reduced blood flow to the brain and heart, respectively. Therefore, the outcomes of these conditions tend to be more favourable when the patients are treated appropriately and, more importantly, on time.

Basic wound care

Please remember that soap and water and a clean bandage are all that's needed to clean and dress a wound. Avoid using products such as hydrogen peroxide because it does irritate the skin.

READ Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Primary First Aid Treatment

Not all convulsions are medical emergencies

The best thing to do when witnessing a patient having a convulsion is to place them in the recovery position to maintain an open airway, time the convulsion and wait for an ambulance to arrive. Remove any objects around the patient that may hurt them and DO NOT place any object in their mouths. This will only increase the chances of an injury to the mouth, tongue or teeth. Please remember, the patient will not swallow their tongue.