First aid is one of the most valuable things that you can learn in your life. It makes you a more confident person, and makes you equipped to save a life. Why? Because a first aider will be able to jump into action and provide quick and efficient care in order to prevent any life-threatening situation from worsening. Many injuries and conditions are very time bound. For example, a heart attack victim has only so long to live if they don’t receive help. The moment the heart stops and the brain stops receiving oxygen, is the moment the casualty begins to die.
First aid is valuable and the main objective of first aid is not exactly to treat someone or their symptoms but to provide valuable attention to someone at the scene of the injury or event. The first aider basically prevents the situation from worsening while the ambulance arrives to take them for medical care. If you need to get yourself some medical equipment, we highly recommend heartstart defibrillator.
The main aims of first aid are, to preserve life, prevent the escalation of illness or injury, to promote recovery, to provide pain relief, to protect the unconscious. These points by themselves can seem a little vague so let’s dive into it and try to figure out what exactly each of them means.
Preservation of life is basically self-explanatory. It means to make sure that the casualty in the hands of the first aider doesn’t die. This can be through the application of CPR, or mouth to mouth resuscitation. These are two of the main ways that a life is preserved in the hands of a first aider. There are subpoints to note when looking after an injured person such as making sure that their airways aren’t blocked, and that there is blood circulation in the body. By maintaining good circulation and a clear airway, the first aider is able to minimize the conditions such as brain damage which can occur very quickly if the brain isn’t receiving oxygen.
Prevention of illness is basically when the first aider attempts to contain the wound to prevent further injury. For example, if the patient has an open wound and is bleeding, the first aider needs to stop the bleeding before it gets worse and the casualty collapses from blood loss. The next step is promoting recovery. This can mean to wash and disinfect the wound after the immediate problem is taken care of. Sometimes antibiotic ointments are used to prevent infections and to promote the healing process. Afterwards is the process of relieving pain. Relieving pain depends on the scenario that the casualty is in. Sometimes relieving pain can be as simple as adjusting the casualty, in the case of relieving pain its generally better to ask a medical expert before attempting to offer anything.
Protecting the unconscious is the final step in the process. If the casualty has lost consciousness but after treatment is stable, it is good practice to get them into recovery position, which is the most ideal position for recovery.
