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Introduction to First Aid |
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DEFINITIONS & TERMINOLOGY:
First Aid is emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained. The level of first aid required varies from simple to life threatening. An example of simply first aid would be putting on a bandage. More complex first aid may be delivering a baby or performing (BLS) Basic life Support.
First aid is composed of skills and knowledge that are implemented in emergency situations ideally by individuals who have some training in first aid from a qualified instructor. The objectives of first aid are universal no matter how different the emergency scenario is.
The objectives of first aid are to:
- Preserve life
- Prevent the illness or injury from becoming worse
- Promote recovery
One’s ability to react calmly, assess the situation and give appropriate care are very important in emergency situations and a first aid course is recommended to develop these skills.
The First Aider, is often the first person at the scene of an emergency. This person ensures the scene is safe, takes charge of the emergency situation, arranges the notification of emergency services, and offers the first aid.
Individuals in this role do not diagnose or treat injuries because they are usually not qualified medical doctors. The first aider usually inspects injuries and/or illnesses by visual observation and they are the one who provides the first aid, based on their assessment of the emergency situation.
Aside from providing first aid, the first aider can keep unnecessary people away from the scene, protect the casualty’s possessions, provide support and/or reassure family or friends of the casualty as well as attend to the emergency scene by providing first aid in the safest manner to prevent further injuries that may have caused the situation in the first place.
The casualty is usually the victim or the person injured in an emergency situation. For both First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) an infant casualty is 12 months or under, a child casualty is one to eight years old and an adult casualty is eight years old and up. This is factored by the casualty’s body size.
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