What is First Aid

If you come across an accident scene or a person who has collapsed, your first instinct may be to rush in and help. However, it is essential that you assess the scene first to ensure that it is safe for you to do so – in fact, this type of safety assessment is one of the first things covered in First Aid training. Here is some insight into how to properly assess the safety of a scene.

Look for Clear and Apparent Dangers

In emergency situations, it’s easy to be so focussed on the person who is hurt or ill that you miss obvious dangers.

• Check. Make sure the scene is safe. You can’t help anyone if you become a victim yourself.

• Calm down and think. Assess the situation and decide what needs to be done. Staying calm may be hard to do, but it’s important. The victim will feel better knowing you are in control, and you will be able to make better decisions than if you were panicked.

• Call. If the victim seems badly hurt, send someone to call for medical help. If no one is there to do that, call for help, and offer to assist the victim.

• Care. Explain that you know first aid, and get permission to treat the victim before doing anything else.

Scene safety also involves looking for less obvious risks that may not be clearly apparent to bystanders and managing them correctly.

Bystanders – Make sure you are not placing yourself in danger by walking into a violent situation. Call emergency services immediately and explain the situation from a safe area. If it is not a dangerous situation, use bystanders to your advantage – call on them to get a First Aid Kit and AED (an Automatic External Defibrillator for use in the event of sudden cardiac arrest), and ask people to assist with bystander CPR. The more helpful people you have organised around you, the safer and the more effective your assistance will be.

The patient – Asses the patient to see if you can tell what the cause of the emergency is. If they are experiencing SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest), they will be unconscious, unresponsive and have no pulse. In this case, you will need to begin bystander CPR immediately and call for an AED while you wait for emergency services.

Environmental hazards – If the person is lying in water when they have a SCA, assess the situation first. If it is due to an electric shock, you will receive a similar shock if you have contact with the water or the person. This is common around docks and boats (marinas, etc.). Shut down electricity to the area as quickly as possible before you rescue the person. Call emergency services and try get your hands on an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) to monitor the person’s heart rhythm and shock the heart if they go into SCA.

In The Event of SCA, Bystander Intervention is Critical

When a sudden cardiac arrest occurs, victims need treatment as soon as possible – within 3 minutes ideally – which puts saving a life into the hands of the nearest bystanders. By safely assessing the scene and acting quickly, you can help save a life while ensuring your safety too.

When you see a person holding his hands to his throat and turning blue, ask if he is choking. If he can speak, cough or breathe, encourage him to try to cough up what he has swallowed. If not, call 911, or ask a bystander to call 911. Tell the person that you know first aid, and ask if you can help.

If the answer is yes, give back blows:

-Give five back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

If the object is not removed, give abdominal thrusts:

-Position yourself behind the person, and reach your arms around his or her waist.

-Make a fist with one hand just above the person’s belly button. Cover the fist with your other hand.

-Make a series of five quick thrusts inward and upward to force air from the lungs. (Pretend like you are trying to pick the person up.)

-Alternate between abdominal thrusts and back blows until the object is dislodged, the person becomes unconscious, or medical help arrives.

When a person is injured or under great stress, the circulatory system might not provide enough blood to all parts of the body. That’s call shock. The person will feel weak. The face may get pale. The skin will feel cold and clammy. He or she may shiver or vomit.

-Call 911 for emergency help immediately -Have the person lie down on his or her back.

-Raise the feet slightly, unless you think there are injuries to the head, neck, back, hips, or legs. If you don’t know, have the person lie flat.

-If the person is not awake, turn him or her on the side. But first, be sure the person has no head, neck or back injuries.

-If the weather is cool, cover the person with a sheet. If it’s hot, don’t.

-Do not give the person anything to eat or drink.

-Stay with the person until help arrives.

Cuts and scratches are opening in skin. They can let in germs that cause infections. When treating cuts and scratches, be sure to wear disposable, latex-free gloves and eye protection. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after treating any wounds.

For small wounds, wash the wound with soap and water. Then apply antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection if you have the victim’s permission and know that he or she doesn’t have any allergy to the medicine. Keep the wound clean with an adhesive bandage. Change the bandage as often as needed, but at least once daily.

For larger cuts, first stop the bleeding by applying direct pressure. Keep the wound as clean as possible to limit infection. Cover an open wound with a sterile gauze pad or a clean cloth folded into a pad. Hold the pad in place with tape or a bandage made out of a neckerchief. Any bandage should be loose enough that you can slide two fingers between it and a person’s body. An adult leader should evaluate any large wound. Once the bleeding has stopped, clean the wound as described above.

Burns and scalds range from simple sunburn to very dangerous third-degree burns. What kind of first aid to give depends on the severity of the burn.

First Degree Burns:

First-degree burns only affect the outer surface of the skin, which gets red and sore. Put the burned area in cold water until the pain stops. If you don’t have any water, cover the burn with a clean, dry, loose dressing.

Second-Degree Burns:

With second degree burns, which are also call partial-thickness burns, blisters form on the skin. Put the burned area in cold water until the pain stops. Gently dry the burned area. Cover it with a sterile gauze pad, and hold the pad loosely in place with a bandage. Be careful not to break open blisters, which could cause infection. Don’t apply creams, ointments or sprays. If needed, treat for shock. Second-degree burns should be evaluated by an adult to determine the need for additional medical help.

Third-Degree Burns:

With third-degree burns, which are also called full-thickness burns, the skin may be burned away, and the flesh may be charred. The victim may feel no pain because nerve endings have been burned. You will definitely need to call 911 or local emergency responders and have an adult evaluate the situation. Don’t remove clothing from around the burn. Wrap the victim in a clean sheet. Cover him or her with blankets if the weather is cool. Treat for shock if needed, and stay with the victim until professional medical help arrives.

Sunburn:

Sunburn is a common injury among people who enjoy being outdoors. Most sunburns are firstdegree burns, although severe sunburn is a second-degree burn and should receive prompt medical attention. All sunburns are dangerous because they can lead to long-term skin damage and even skin cancer when you get older. You can prevent sunburn by using plenty of broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Put it on 20 minutes before you go outside and every two hours while you are outside. Reapply it after swimming or if you are sweating a lot. A broad-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants will give you even more protection.

Blisters are pockets of fluid that form as the skin’s way of protecting itself from friction. Blisters on the feet are common injuries among hikers. You can avoid getting blisters by wearing shoes or boots that fit well, by changing your socks if they become sweaty or wet, and by paying attention to how your feet feel. A hot spot is a warning that a blister might be forming. As soon as you notice it, cover the hot spot with moleskin. If a blister forms, you can protect it with a doughnut bandage. To make one, cut moleskin in the shape of a doughnut, and fit it around the blister. Shape several more doughnuts, and stack them on top of the first. Cover with an adhesive bandage.

Ticks are small, hard-shelled arachnids that bury their heads in your skin. Protect yourself whenever you’re in tick-infested woodlands and fields by wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Button your collar, and tuck your pant legs into your socks. Inspect yourself daily, especially the warm and hairy parts of your body, and immediately remove any ticks your find. If a tick has attached itself, ask an adult to help you. The adult will grasp the tick with tweezers close to the skin and gently pull until it comes loose. It’s important not to squeeze, twist or jerk the tick, which could leave its mouth parts in the skin. Wash the wound with soap and water, and apply antibiotic ointment. After dealing with a tick, thoroughly wash your hands. If you develop a rash or flulike symptoms or otherwise feel ill in the next days or weeks after being bitten, talk to your doctor.

Scrape away a bee or wasp stinger with the edge of a card or ask an adult to help. Another method is to put a piece of tape on top of the sting to pull out the stinger. Don’t try to squeeze it out. That will force more venom into the skin from the sac attached to the stinger. An ice pack might reduce pain and swelling. Some people have severe allergies to bee and wasp stings. If someone has trouble breathing after being stung or feels his or her throat swelling or closing up, seek medical help immediately and alert an adult. Find out if the person is carrying a kit for treating anaphylactic shock, and help him or her administer the medication.

Chiggers are almost invisible. Their bites cause itching and small welts. Try not to scratch chigger bites. You might find some relief by covering chigger bites with calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream.

Only a few types of spiders’ bites cause serious reactions. Victims of these spider bites should be treated for shock and seen by a doctor as soon as possible. When possible, try to identify the spider, or take the dead spider to the physician’s office. Be sure that you don’t put yourself in danger to do so. The bite of a female black widow spider can cause redness and pain at the wound site. The victim might suffer sweating, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain and cramps, severe muscle pain and spasms and shock. Breathing might become difficult. The bite of a brown recluse spider doesn’t always hurt right away, but within two to eight hours there can be pain, redness, and swelling at the wound. An open sore is likely to develop. The victim might suffer fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and a faint rash.

Snakes are common in many parts of the country, but bites from them are rare. Snakes try to avoid humans and normally strike only when they sense danger. Snakebites seldom result in death.

Use a hiking stick to poke among stones and brush ahead of you when you walk through areas where snakes are common. Remember to stay on the trails. Watch where you put your hands as you collect firewood or climb over rocks and logs. Wear high-cut boots or Snake Guards when in area known for venomous snakes.

Non-venomous:

The bite of a non-venomous snake causes only minor puncture wounds. You can treat these like other puncture wounds; just wash with soap and water, then apply antibiotic ointment and an adhesive bandage. Before applying medicine, put on disposable, non-latex gloves; ask about any drug allergies; and get permission. Get medical attention if you see signs of an infection.

Venomous:

The bite of a venomous snake can cause sharp, burning pain. The area around the bite might swell and become discolored.

Note: Sometimes, a venomous snake can bite without injecting venom. The result of these "dry bites" is irritation at the site.

If you think a person has been bitten by a venomous snake, call for help, and follow these steps:

Do's:

- Do call 911 immediately. if possible.

- Do Keep the person calm and still.

- Do not let the victim walk unless it is unavoidable.

- Do identify the wound. Two separate holes means it’s more likely to be a bite from a viper. Though some bites are “dry,” meaning there was no venom in the bite.

- Do immobilize the part of the body that was bitten, and position it below the level of the heart.

- Do remove any rings or jewelry from the bitten extremity before they start to swell.

- Do position them, if possible, so that the bite is at or below the level of your heart.

- Do clean the wound with with soap and water or antiseptic, and cover it with a clean bandage.

Dont's

- Don’t use a tourniquet.

Restricting superficial blood flow does keep the venom from spreading–but that’s exactly what you don’t want to happen. Venom that stays concentrated near the bite will rapidly destroy cells; allowing it to spread will dilute the toxin and likely reduce tissue damage.

According to International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences:

“The reasons for discouraging the use of tourniquets are risk of ischemia and loss of the limb, increased risk of necrosis, increased risk of massive venom bolus when tourniquet is released, risk of embolism if used in viper bites due to pro-coagulant enzymes which will cause clotting in distal blood.

In addition, the effect of the venom in causing vasodilation presents the danger of massive hypotension when the tourniquet is released. Several experimental studies have shown that tourniquets do not work, and venom was not slowed by their use.

- Don't apply Ice.

Long-term application of cold makes the injury worse by reducing healthy circulation to the area. Even short-term exposure could be risky: Ice won’t neutralize the venom, but some experts think snake venom increases vulnerability to frostbite.

- Don’t cut the wound or try to suck out (remove) the venom.

Despite the myth’s staying power, the so-called “cut-and-suck” method has never been proven effective. Because a snake’s fangs are curved, the pocket of venom probably isn’t located where you think it is; even if you do find it, venom spreads so quickly you won’t be able to extract much. Plus, about 20 percent of snakebites are “dry,” or totally lacking venom. Cutting into the skin creates a nasty wound and increases the risk of infection with no medical benefit.

- Don’t give the victim caffeine or alcohol.

- Don't try to capture the snake

Try to remember the snake’s shape and color pattern so you can describe it later, but don’t try to capture it. If you have a camera and it will not delay your getting help, take a picture of the snake from a safe distance to help with identification.

- Don't get bitten

A nosebleed can look bad, but it will usually stop in just a few minutes. Have the victim sit up and lean forward to prevent blood from draining into the throat. Pinch the nostrils together for 10 minutes to maintain pressure on the flow and stop the bleeding. Apply a cool, wet cloth to the victim’s nose and face above where you are pinching. (As always, wear latex-free, disposable gloves.) Watch for symptoms of shock and treat as needed. Call for help if the bleeding doesn’t stop after 15 minutes.

Frostbite happens when the skin gets cold enough to freeze. A sure sign of frostbite is grayish-white patches on the skin. Some victims will complain that their ears, nose, fingers, fingers or feet feel painful and then numb. Others won’t notice anything.

If you suspect frostbite, get the person into a tent or building, then gently warm the affected area and keep it warm. If an ear or cheek is frozen, remove your glove and warm the injury with the palm of your hand. Slip a frostbitten hand under your clothing, and tuck it beneath an armpit. Treat frozen toes by putting the victim’s bare feet against the warm skin of another person.

You can also warm a frozen part by holding it in warm – not hot – running water. Have the patient exercise injured fingers or toes, and don’t let the injured area freeze again. Get the victim to a doctor.