First aid

Star of Life symbol

First Aid symbol

First Aid is the immediate and temporary proper aid provided to a sick or injured person or animal until medical treatment can be provided. It generally consists of series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or lay person can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.

History

The Knights Hospitaller were probably the first to specialize in battlefield care for the wounded. St. John Ambulance was formed in 1877 to teach first aid (a term devised by the order) in large railway centres and mining districts. The order and its training began to spread throughout the British Empire and Europe. As well, in 1859 Henry Dunant helped organize villagers in Switzerland to help victims of the Battle of Solferino. Four years later, four nations met in Geneva and formed the organization which has grown into the Red Cross. Developments in first aid and many other medical techniques have been fueled in large by wars: the American Civil War prompted Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross. Today, there are several groups that promote first aid, such as the military and the Scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today's first aid simple and effective.

Training

It is best to obtain training in first aid before a medical emergency occurs. One needs hands-on training by experts to perform first aid safely, and recommendations change, so that training should be repeated every three years. CPR recertification is recommended annually. Training in first aid is often available through community organizations such as the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance. In many countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, St. John Ambulance provides first aid training and in some countries operates ambulance services. In Scotland, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association provides first aid training. In the United States, the American Heart Association and American CPR Training also offer first aid training.

In the United Kingdom, there are two main types of first aid courses offered. An "Emergency Aid for Appointed Persons" course typically lasts one day, and covers the basics, focusing on critical interventions for conditions such as cardiac arrest and severe bleeding, and is usually not formally assessed. A "First Aid at Work" course is a four-day course (two days for a requalification) that covers the full spectrum of first aid, and is formally assessed. Certificates for the "First Aid at Work" course are issued by the training organisation and are valid for a period of three years from the date the delegate passes the course. Other courses offered by training organisations such as St John Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association or the British Red Cross include Baby & Child Courses, manual handling, people moving, and courses geared towards more advanced life support, such as defibrillation and administration of medical gases (oxygen & entonox).

Wilderness first aid

Main article: Wilderness first aid

Wilderness first aid is the provision of first aid under conditions where the arrival of emergency responders or the evacuation of an injured person may be delayed due to constraints of terrain, weather, and available persons or equipment. It may be necessary to care for an injured person for several hours or days.

In the United States, Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is the name of a certification in wilderness medicine that covers wilderness first aid; depending on the laws applicable where it is practiced, it may impose specific responsibilities and confer specific immunities on duly-diligent practitioners. For instance, the practicing of certain rules of WFA, by someone certified in the usual "street" First Aid discipline but not in WFA (or a higher Wilderness Medicine qualification), could result in civil liability or perhaps even criminal prosecution.

Conditions that often require first aid

Also see medical emergency

• Altitude sickness, which can begin in susceptible people at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet, can cause potentially fatal swelling of the brain or lungs.
• Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition in which the airway can become constricted and the patient may go into shock. The reaction can be caused by a systemic allergic reaction to allergens such as insect bites or peanuts. Anaphylaxis is initially treated with injection of epinephrine.
• Battlefield First aid - After the 9-11 terrorist attack, this protocol refers to treating shrapnel, gunshot wounds, burns, bone fractures, etc. as seen either in the battlefield or in the affected area resulting from a terrorist attack.
• Bone fracture, a break in a bone initially treated by stabilizing the fracture with a splint.
• Burns, which can result in damage to tissues and loss of body fluids through the burn site.
• Choking, blockage of the airway which can quickly result in death due to lack of oxygen if the patient's trachea is not cleared, for example by the Heimlich maneuver.
• Childbirth.
• Cramps in muscles due to lactic acid buildup caused either by inadequate oxygenation of muscle or lack of water or salt.
• Diving disorders resulting from too much pressure.
• Gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Gender specific conditions, such as Dysmenorrhea and Testicular torsion.
• Heart attack, or inadequate blood flow to the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle.
• Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke or hyperthermia, which tends to occur during heavy exercise in high humidity, or with inadequate water, though it may occur spontaneously in some chronically ill persons. Sunstroke, especially when the victim has been unconscious, often causes major damage to body systems such as brain, kidney, liver, gastric tract. Unconsciousness for more than two hours usually leads to permanent disability. Emergency treatment involves rapid cooling of the patient.
• Heat syncope, another stage in the same process as heat stroke, occurs under similar conditions as heat stroke and is not distinguished from the latter by some authorities.
• Hemorrhage, or heavy bleeding, treated by applying pressure (manually and later with a pressure bandage) to the wound site and elevating the limb if possible.
• Hyperglycemia, or diabetic coma.
• Hypoglycemia, or insulin shock.
• Hypothermia, or exposure, occurs when a person's core body temperature falls below 33.7°C (92.6°F). First aid for a mildly hypothermic patient includes rewarming, but rewarming a severely hypothermic person could result in a fatal arrhythmia, an irregular heart rhythm.
• Insect and animal bites and stings.
• Muscle strain.
• Poisoning, which can occur by injection, inhalation, absorption, or ingestion.
• Sprain, a temporary dislocation of a joint that immediately reduces automatically but may result in ligament damage.
• Stroke, a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain.
• Sucking chest wound, a life threatening hole in the chest which can cause the chest cavity to fill with air and prevent the lung from filling, treated by covering with an occlusive dressing to let air out but not in.
• Toothache, which can result in severe pain and loss of the tooth but is rarely life threatening.
• Wounds and bleeding, including laceration, incision and abrasion, and avulsion, which present risk of infection and should be irrigated with sterile normal saline and may require antibiotic medication.

Providing first aid

• Emergency Action Principles
• Wilderness emergency medical technician
• Emergency medical service
• Good Samaritan law
• Emergency medical technician
• Rescue squad
• First aid kit

Techniques and procedures of first aid

• Artificial respiration
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Occlusive dressing
• Oxygen first aid
• Triage
• Tourniquet
• Sub-abdominal thrusts

Red Cross symbol

Although commonly associated with first aid, the symbol of a red cross is an official symbol of the Red Cross. According to the Geneva Conventions and other international law, it should only be used by official agencies of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, and as a protective emblem for medical personnel and facilities in combat situations. They recommend the use of other symbols or colors as indicators for "first aid", such as the Star of Life.

External links

• U.S.A. Center for Disease Control first aid
• European Reference Centre for First Aid Education
• First Aid Quiz and Games
• First Aid Topics - Describes the appropriate first aid response to many situations.
• First Aid Training - Learning how to provide first aid