First aid is the assistance given to a sick or injured person until a health professional (paramedic or doctor) arrives in order to preserve the victim's life.
Importance of First Aid
First aid is important because...
It offers anyone the ability to provide assistance in different emergency situations.
It improves the effectiveness of aftercare.
It decreases the severity of an emergency at a specific time and place.
Objectives of First Aid
Preserve life: Most of them happen because of people's carelessness.
Avoid Injuries: The actions to aid and transfer an injured person is about life or death.
Use Suitable Equipment: To transfer serious patients (stretchers, boards, cervical collar).
Check the Patient's
Consciousness State
It is the evaluation in which the general state of the patient, state of consciousness, respiratory and circulatory condition is determined in a period of no more than 10 seconds.
How to do it?
Touch the patient on the shoulders and shake him slightly while asking how he is.
Sir/ma'am, are you okay?
A: the person is alert, speaks fluently, stares at the explorer and is aware of what is happening around him.
If the patient responds, we will proceed to the AVDI evaluation.
V: the person has a verbal response, although he is not alert.
D: the person responds only to the application of some painful stimulus.
I: the person does not present any of the previous responses, is unconscious.
If the patient does not respond, we should proceed to check carotid pulse and breathing.
CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
RCP: Reanimación Cardiopulmonar
Most Common Emergency
Poisoned
Burned
Bitten
Car crash
Run over
Wounded
Passed out
Fractured
Heat stroke
Emergency vs. Urgency
Emergency: the life-threatening situation in a matter of minutes.
Medical Urgency: is the medical care in which there is more time to arrive, and treat the patient.