FIRST AID

SAED ALLAWAMA
s.allawama@yahoo.com
First aid
• First aid is the immediate care to a person
who injured or suddenly becomes ill .
The principle aims of first aid

• To care for life – threatening condition

• To minimize infection.
• To make the victim as comfortable as possible and
to conserve strength
• To arrange for transport the victim to a medical
facility, when necessary.

In the first aid the following obligations are also met

:
• Moral
• Legal
• Economic
 Victim assessment stage

• primary survey – checking for and

controlling life – threatening

• secondary survey – checking for and

stabilizing injuries or illness not
threatening
Life – Threatening Emergency Survey
( primary survey )

The ABCs are emergencies

immediately threatening to life:

• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation & bleeding.
State of consciousness:
• establish responsiveness
• check pupils
Arrested or abnormal breathing :

• observe chest and feel for exhaled air at

mouth and nose

as appropriate :
• clear or open the airway
• perform artificial ventilation
• seal chest wounds
• stabililize flail chest
flail chest
Arrested or abnormal pulse :

• check carotid pulse

• if none , provide CPR
• if rapid and weak , anticipate shock – elevate
patient's legs ( if there are no head or chest
injuries), maintain body temperature
external bleeding
• observe for indication of external bleeding
• use direct pressure
• dress and bandage wound
• preserve avulsed parts.
• don’t replace exposed organ
• don’t remove penetrating objects
Internal bleeding and shock

• observe skin color , temperature and

pupils
• place in shock position , and maintain
body temperature
• check for and eliminate cause if possible
Survey of problem not threatening to life –
secondary survey
Skull injury or brain damage:
• Observe for confusion, unresponsiveness,
unconsciousness.
• Check to see that pupils of the eye function
together and are the same size.
• Observe for laceration and contusions about the
face and scalp; don’t move the head any more
than is absolutely necessary.
• Feel gently for depressions in the skull.
• Look for fluid or blood from ears or nose.
• If there is evidence of skull injury or brain damage,
suspect a neck (spinal cord) injury.
Spinal cord injury:
• Ask the patient if he can move his arms
and legs.
• Touch the arms and the legs and ask the
victim if he feels the touch
• If the victim is unconscious, assume there
is a spine injury.
• Splint the spine as appropriate
Fractures, dislocations, and wounds:

• Observe obvious wound and deformities

(including a leg turn out or in ).
• Ask the victim if he feels tenderness or pain
in any area.
• Straighten angulated fractures of long
bones except the spine.
• Immobilize all fractures or dislocations as
appropriate.
• Don’t replace protruding bones.
• Dress and bandage all open wounds