| As
stated in the American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook, when faced with the task
of giving emergency care to an individual who is sick or injured, one should think in
terms of A-I-D. A Ask for help
I Intervene
D Do no further harm
In
an emergency, time is critic. The quicker you recognize the emergency, the soon
help can arrive to assist the victim. Realize the situation and ASK for HELP!
Use a cell phone or ask someone to call 911. If you are the only one present that
has knowledge of first aid, then someone else should place the call for help leaving you
to proceed with first aid care.
Intervene
by giving what medical first aid you can to achieve a positive outcome for the victim and
be sure to avoid doing anything that can worsen the situation. In other words, Do
No Further Harm.
Do not block an unconscious victim's air passage. Never lay an unconscious person
flat of their back or face unless performing CPR.
Do not place a pillow under an unconscious person's head and never place anything,
including liquids, into the victim's mouth.
Never use force in any first aid procedure unless it is CPR chest compressions or
abdominal thrust (for choking).
Never shake an unconscious person to attempt rouse them.
Never try to force or pry their jaws apart.
Never restrain a convulsing person's arms or legs.
Never force a victim to vomit by any means.
Never continue first aid if the victim is being cause pain by the procedure.
Never force any part of the body during first aid. In other words, do not attempt to
set a broken bone. That is for a physician to do.
Never remove any object that has impaled the victim. Leave it where it is.
Moving an injured person who could possibly have neck or spinal injuries can result in
permanent paralysis or even death. Unless there is imminent danger from another
source such as location of the victim, do not move them. If they must be moved it
should be done with extreme care and their back and neck must be firmly supported.
Never
attempt to move an injured body part such as an arm or leg unless the injured area is
supported.
How to approach an injured or ill person:
If the person is conscious and you do not know them, introduce yourself using your
full name and ask if you can help them. If you have had first aid courses, inform
them and let them know that your intentions are to help them.
If the victim is unconscious, friends, family, co-workers, anyone else that is
present, needs to know who you are and what your intentions are.
It is important for you to continually inform the victim of your intentions and
give reassurances although you must be careful not to make unrealistic promises.
Evaluating
the Victim's Condition:
Your first priority when administering first aid is to care for any life
threatening conditions. Check to see if the person is conscious and begin checking
vital signs. If the victim is not breathing, if their heart has stopped or they are
bleeding severely, immediate and proper action is required.
What
to do:
If the victim is unconscious and not breathing, be sure to check the airway passage and
proceed with rescue breathing, also known as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.*
If
the victim's heart has stopped beating, begin chest compression immediately. Chest
compressions and rescue breathing combined are called Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or
CPR.*
If
the victim is bleeding and it is minor, the blood may clot and seal the wound on it's
own. If it is a major wound with serious bleeding, apply direct pressure to the
wound using a clean dressing, clean cloth or as a last resort, your hand. Attempt to
hold the wound at a level above the victim's heart.*
At this point I wish to suggest again to you that you take a First Aid course or at least
purchase a first aid handbook such as the *American Red Cross First Aid & Safety
Handbook.
It is not my intention to teach you first aid but to give you a few suggestions how best
to assist an injured person. It is in your best interest as well as those around you
that you learn proper first aid in order to prepare you for any possible emergency.
*American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook, First Edition, Copyright ©
1992 by the American National Red Cross |
