FIRST AID

Christine Asare-Bosompem
Care Consort
 Objectives

∗ Priorities
∗ Preparation
∗ Protection
∗ Dealing with causalities
 Priorities

∗ Assess the situation

∗ Ensure you protect yourself and casualty if possible
from danger – You must not put yourself at risk
∗ Be cautious to prevent cross infection
∗ Reassure, comfort
∗ Assess the casualty
∗ Give early treatment
∗ Call for help
 Prepare

∗ Keep a calm approach

∗ Look out for risks
∗ Maintain trust
∗ Give early treatment
∗ Call for help
 Protection

∗ Wash your hands

∗ Wear protective gloves – non latex preferred
∗ Cover cuts and grazes on your hand with water proof
dressing
∗ Wear Apron if dealing with a lot of bodily fluids
∗ Dispose of waste correctly and safely
∗ Do not use your bare hands to touch a wound
∗ Don’t cough or sneeze into the wound
 Casualties

∗ Respiratory arrest
∗ Cardiac arrest
∗ Bleeding
∗ Burns
∗ Choking
 Definition

∗ The initial process of assessing and taking care of the

needs of someone experiencing a medical
emergency
∗ Allows a non medical expert to quickly determine a
person’s physical condition and the course of
treatment
∗ Can make a difference by helping in the recovery and
saving a person’s life
 What First Aid does

∗ Sustains life
∗ Prevents suffering
∗ Prevents secondary complications
∗ Promotes speedy recovery
 What you should avoid

∗ Prescribe medication
∗ Declare Death
 Where possible….

∗ Mask
∗ Gloves
∗ Head Cover
∗ Apron
 Principles

∗ Calmly Take Charge

∗ Call for help
∗ Check the scene and the casualty
∗ Carefully apply first aid
 DRABC

∗ D :- Danger
∗ R:- Response
∗ A:- Airway
∗ B:- Breathing
∗ C:- Circulation
 Danger

∗ To Yourself
∗ To Others
∗ To Casualty
 Response

∗ Gently shake and shout

∗ Conscious level
∗ Drowsy or confused?
∗ Unconscious with no response/reaction
∗ If unconscious and breathing :- Recovery position
 Airway

∗ Is the airway open? Is it clear?

∗ Is there noise in breathing
∗ Any indications of a potential obstruction
 Keeping Airway Protected

∗ Tilt Head Back

∗ Lift Chin up with fingers under jaw to establish air way
is clear
 Breathing

∗ Observe – chest movements

∗ Listen for sounds for breathing for 10 seconds
∗ If breathing, recovery position
∗ No breathing or gasping for breath call for help
∗ start CPR
 DRABC

∗ D :- Danger
∗ R:- Response
∗ A:- Airway
∗ B:- Breathing
∗ C:- Circulation
Recovery Position
 Circulation

∗ Carotid pulse present?

If no pulse present, Start CPR

Pathophysiology of the heart and
lungs
 CPR

∗C:- Cardio
∗P:- Pulmonary
∗R:- Resuscitation
 CPR …

∗2 x Rescue Breaths

∗30 x Chest compressions

Wait for help..
 CPR in Children

∗ 2 x rescue breaths
∗ 30 compressions
∗ up to a year old :- 2 fingers on the breast bone under
the nipple. Do not apply pressure over the ribs
∗ One year to puberty: One hand on breast bone
Nose Bleed
 What to do..

∗ Sit in a comfortable position and lean forward

∗ Pinch the nose above the fleshy lobes of your nostrils,

just before the bony nose bridge

∗ Usually controlled within 20-30mins. If it becomes

worse during this period, call for help
 The Heart and Blood Vessels

∗ Oxygenated:- Arteries ---- arterioles

∗ Deoxygenated: Veins ------ Venules
∗ Capillaries: food and nutrients to cells, waste from cells
Your aim when there is a bleed

∗ To control bleeding
∗ To prevent and minimise the effects of a shock
∗ To minimise infection
∗ Depending on severity, call for help
∗ Tell the emergency service of the site of bleed
∗ Check circulation every 10 minutes
Apply direct pressure and elevate
 Direct pressure

∗ Use sterile or clean gauze/pad to apply direct

pressure to wound
∗ Secure dressing if available with a bandage
∗ Do not put direct pressure on wound if an object is
stuck in it
∗ Depending on severity, call for help
∗ Apply another dressing if blood seeps through
∗ Change dressing altogether if blood seeps through
the second dressing
Pathophysiology of the skin
 Wound

∗ A break in the skin’s surface that result in bleeding

externally. Can become an entry point for bacteria to
enter the body
 Cuts and Grazes

∗ Normally easily controlled by pressure and elevation

∗ If wound is dirty, run under tap water or use of sterile
wipe. Clean surrounding area of the wound
∗ Pat wound dry dry with sterile gauze and apply
plaster or other dressing available
 Other types of Wounds

∗ Laceration:- Cut to skin with irregular edges which is

caused by a forceful tearing away of the skin tissue
∗ Puncture: Deep, narrow wounds like that of a stab
wound
∗ Avulsion:- Flap of skin torn loose and usually hanging
or can be completely removed
 Levels of Burns

∗ Superficial burn: involves the outermost part of the

skin- the epidermis. This usually heals well
∗ Partial thickness Burn: This is painful and raw. This
destroys the epidermis. Usually heals well, but if 20%
of body is affected, will be life threatening
∗ Full thickness burn:- severe, pain sensation is lost.
Possible damage to nerves, muscles, blood vessels,
fat tissues. Urgent medical attention needed
 What to do when dealing with a
wound

∗ Wear gloves if possible and try to expose the wound

∗ Control bleeding
∗ Clean wounds to prevent infection,
∗ Irrigate with water or saline
∗ Clean only after bleeding has stopped
What do you do when someone has a
burn

∗ Call for help depending on severity

∗ Aim at cooling the area as soon as possible for about
10 minutes
∗ Cover wound area with a cling film or sterile gauze to
prevent infection
∗ Wait for help and check for signs of breathing
difficulty, signs of shock
 Shock

∗ Shock occurs when the circulatory system fails and so

vital organs like the brain and heart are deprived of
oxygen
∗ Call for help
∗ Get the person to lie on a Rug or blanket to prevent
feeling cold
∗ Raise and support legs to be above the level of their
heart to improve blood supply to vital organs
Choking
 Recognising symptoms

∗ Grasping/holding firmly of throat

∗ Anxiety/distressed
∗ Speaking and breathing difficulties
∗ Coughing persistently
∗ Becoming unconscious
What to do in the event of choking

∗ Encourage person to continue to cough

∗ Calm the casualty
∗ Stand slightly behind the person to one side
∗ With one hand, support their chest
∗ Lean the person forward to aid the object blocking
the airway to come out of the mouth
∗ Give 5 sharp blows with the heel of the hand between
the shoulder blades; stopping to check after each
blow
What to do in the event of choking
continues….

∗ Stand behind the person with your arms around the

waist.
∗ Help them if needed to bend forward
∗ Clench a fist and place it above the person’s navel
∗ Place your other hand on top and thrust backward
and upward
∗ Do this 5 times which is known as one cycle.
Choking in Infants
∗ Lean child forward, head facing downwards
∗ Five back blows
∗ Five chest thrusts
∗ If not clear after three cycles, call the emergency
services
 Legislation

∗ The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981

∗ Employers to provide adequate equipment, facilitiesl and
personnel to assist and ensure their employees receive
immediate attention should they fall ill at work
∗ It is not compulsory for employers to purchase AEDs to
comply with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) regulations
1981. However, if your needs assessment identifies an AED
need then we recommend your staff should be fully
trained in its use