First aid is the temporary and immediate treatment given to a person who is injured or suddenly becomes ill, using facilities of materials available a that time before regular medical help is imparted. The person giving first aid call first aider, this person has to take care of victim. 

Object of First aid

1. To Preserve life

2. To prevent further injury and deterioration of the condition

3. To make the victim as comfortable as possible to conserve strength.

4. To put the injured person under professional medical cart at the earliest.

Principles of First aid

1. Restoration Respiration

2. Control Bleeding

3. Treat Shock care unconscious

4. Fracture

5. Burn

6. Multiple Injuries

7. Transportation

Scope at the First Aid

In accidents, which may take place either at road, home, in factories, buildings of as a result of natural calamities, electric shock burns, snake bite etc.

Golden rules of First Aid

1. Do first things first, quickly, quietly and without panic.

2. Reassure the casualty and his relatives sympathetically.

3. Look for the following:

a. Is there any failure of breathing? If yes, start artificial respiration.

b. Is there any failure of circulation? If yes start external cardiac massage.

c. Is there sever bleeding? If yes stop bleeding by pressing on the pressure points. Press firmly on the bleeding area with a clean pad and keep on pressing the bleeding area for at least a few minutes.

4. Avoid handling the casualty unnecessarily.

5. Arrange for the safe removal of the casualty to the care of a doctor or hospital as soon as possible.

Who is First Aider

A First aider is just a common person who may have learnt a standard method to application of first aid best suited to his skill.

He is trained to reach patients, identify the problem, and provide emergency care and when necessary move patients without causing further injury.

Qualification of First Aider

1. First aider should be good observer

2. should be able to act quickly.

3. should no get panicky or excited.

4. should have the ability to lead and control the crowd and take help from the onlookers.

5. should have self-confidence and ability to judge injuries to be tracked first.

6. Should be able to reassure the apprehensive victim and his/her anxious or nervous relative by demonstrating competence expressing sympathy and providing good counselling.

Responsibilities of First Aider

1. Gain access to the patient in easiest and safest way.

2. Observe the accident scene and assess the situation.

3. If necessary, direct other to direct traffic, keep bystanders at a safe distance and make essential telephone calls. Turn off all engines that may be still running.

4. To fine out whether casualty is unconscious, conscious, alive or dead.

5. Give immediate, appropriate and adequate treatment considering priority of first aid measures. Such as first priority will be of restoration of breating and circulation while second will be stopping the bleeding.

6. Idenfigy the disease of condition from which the casualty is suffering.

7. Should bear in mind that a casualty may have more than one injury and that some casualties will require more urgent attention than others.

8. Arranging without delay for shifting of the casualty to a doctor, hospital of home according to the condition in such a manner as not to complicate the injury or subject the victim to unnecessary discomfort.

9. Keeping the record of patient, and of the incidence, addresses and witness.

10. Once a first aider has voluntarily started care he should not leave the scene, or stop the care untile a qualified and responsible person relieves him.

Warning to the first Aider

1. First aider should keep in mind that he is not a doctor.

2. He should not examine wounds by opening which have already been bandaged by somebody else.

3. He should not declare any person as dead, this is not in his scope.

Skills of First Aider

1. Control the scene of accident.

2. Gain access to the patient.

3. Evaluate the scene in terms of safety and possible cause of accident.

4. Gather information from patient and bystanders.

5.Determine vital signs (Pulse, breathing, temperature).

6. Determine diagnostic signs and relate those to possible injuries or sudden illnesses that require emergency care.

7. Perform the necessary ABCs of emergency care.

a. Open airway

b. Breathing ( breathlessness- provide artificial ventilation)

c. Circulation ( pulselessness - provide one and two-rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

d. Bleeding control (hemorrhage controlled by direct pressure and elevation, pressure points and tourniquets).

8. Diagnosis and care for shock.

9. Diagnosis and care for soft tissue and internal injuries including basic dressing and bandaging techniques.

10. Diagnosis and care for open and closed fractures, sprains, strains and dislocations, including cold treatment and basic splinting techniques.

11. Detect and care for poisoning including alcohol and drug abuse.

12. Diagnosis and care for heart attack, stroke, diabetic, coma, insulin shock, and epileptic or other seizures.

13. Diagnosis and care for facial injuries, head injuries, neck and spinal injuries and chest injuries including fractured ribs, flail chest and penetrating chest wounds.

14. Diagnosis and care for burns and smoke inhalation.

15. Diagnosis and care for exposure to heat and cold which includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hypothermia, and frost bite.

16. Assist in childbirth and care of the newborn.

17 Psychological and proper emergency care to victims of chises and disasters.

18 Perform proper transformation techniques.

Kit for First Aid

1. Triangular bandages.

2. Roller type bandages.

3. Dressing/gauze pads.

4. Adhesive tape.

5. Bandages sheets.

6. Eye protector.

7. Stick for tourniquet.

8. Blanket.

9. Pillow.

10. Upper extremity splint set.

11. Lower extremity splint set.

What is ABC in first aid ?

• A - Airways: Ensure that the patient’s airways are unobstructed so that they can breathe (with or without outside help).
• B - Breathing: Check whether the patient is breathing. If not, we breathe for them (Laerdal mask, mouth to nose-breathing).
• C - Circulation: Check pulse. If no pulse is discernible, chest compressions (CPR).
• D - Defibrillation: If available, attach and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), in case the patient’s heart in in atrial (or other) defibrillation, in which case the AED will shock the patient to stop the defibrillation. NOT to “restart the heart”. That’s not the purpose of CPR or of an AED, although stopping the defibrillation can result in a regular pulse being able to take over again.