AIMS OF FIRST AID

AIMS OF FIRST AID

 To preserve life

 To prevent the worsening of ones medical condition

 To promote  recovery 

Safe transportation to the nearest health care facility

 

FIRST AID 

First aid is the first assistance given to a casualty for any injury or sudden illness before the arrival of an ambulance or a qualified paramedical/medical person . It may involve improvising with facilities and material available at site.

A B C rule

This Rule will help to identify these needs

A-  An open or clear breathing airway

B - Breathing adequacy

C - Circulation sufficiency

Checking for breathing

Check for breathing in an unconscious casualty: first the airway , as described previously and then look, listen and feel for any sign of respiration.

  Look for chest /abdominal movement

 Listen for breathing sounds.

 Feel the air coming out of the nose or mouth.

Checking for circulation

 Before commencing External Chest Compression , It is important to establish that there is in fact no circulation. If the heart is not pumping, the only reliable way of establishing a lack of circulation is to check the pulse at the neck (carotid pulse) . This  pulse can be felt by placing the finger tips gently on the voice box and sliding them down into the hollow between the voice box and the adjoining muscle.

 BLEEDING

•Bleeding

•Bleeding  is a common cause of death in accidents . It is caused by the rupture of blood vessels due to severity of the injury.

•External and Internal Bleeding

•If the bleeding is from surface of the body it is called external bleeding.

•If the bleeding is within the chest , skull or abdomen etc. it is called internal bleeding. This cannot be seen immediately; but later the blood may ooze out through the nose or ear, or coughed up from the lungs, or vomited from the stomach.

WOUNDS  AND BLEEDING

When any tissue of body e.g. skin, muscle ,bone  etc, is torn or cut by injury, a wound is caused. There will be bleeding from the injured part and it also forms an opening through which germs an get in to the body.

TYPES OF WOUNDS

1.Incised wounds

Are caused by sharp instruments like knife,razor etc.The blood vessels are clean cut and so these wounds bleed very much.

2.Contiused wounds

Are caused by blows by blunt instruments or by crushing. The tissues are bruised.

3.Lacerated wounds

Are caused by machinery,fall on rough surfaces,claw of animals etc.These wounds have torn and irregular edges and they bleeds less.

4.Punctured wounds

Are caused by stabs by any sharp instrument like a knife or adagged. They have small opening, but may be very deep.

 

DANGER OF WOUND

Wound cause two great dangers

    Bleeding is the immediate danger and should be treated promptly.

Infection

Is caused by germs getting into the body through the broken skin.

The germs multiply in the wound and make it infected or septic.

May then get into the blood stream and cause blood-poisoning.

 

BURNS & SCALDs

Causes of Burns and Scalds

Burns are injuries that result from dry heat like fire , flame, a piece of hot metal

Or the sun , contact with wire carrying high tension electric current or by lighting

Or friction.

Scalds are caused by moistheat due to boiling water ,steam, oil, hot tar ,etc.

Chemical burns are caused by strong acids (sulphuric Acid,Nitric Acid) or by strong Alkalies.

A nuclear burn is caused by the instantaneous flash of intense heat given off by a nuclear explosion

Degrees of Burns

Three are three degrees of burns first degree 

 

 First Degree :When the skin is reddened

 Second Degree : When there are blisters on the skin.

Third Degree : When the destruction is deeper, damaging nerves, tissues , muscles etc.

 

FRACTURE

A fracture is a break in a bone . Generally, considerable force is needed to break a bone, unless it is diseased or old. A fracture is the partial or complete bend, crack or breakage of a bone.

Cause of Fracture

1.Direct force The bone breaks at the spot of application of force. E.g bullet passing in to the bone, severe fall on a projecting stone or a wheel passing over the body etc.

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2.Indirect force The bone breaks away from the spot of application of force e.g Collar bone fracture when the fall is on outstretched hands etc

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3. Muscular force  Occurs when there is a violent contraction of a group of muscles , happens very rarely- e.g fracture of ribs on violent cough.

Types of Fracture

Simple fracture(Closed): The broken ends of the bone do not cut open the skin to show on the outside.

Compound fracture(open): When the fracture bone is in contact with outside air as a result of an injury .

Complicated fracture :In addition to the fracture, an important internal organ such as the brain or major blood vessels , the spinal cord , lung, liver, spleen etc may  also be injured

SHOCK

This life- threatening condition occurs when the circulatory system ( which distributes oxygen to the body tissues and removes waste products) fails and as a result, vital organs such as the heart and brain are deprived of oxygen. It requires emergency treatment to prevent permanent organ damage and

Types of shock

Nervous shock is due to strong emotional upset e.g fear ,pain ,or  bad news.

True shock is seen in the following  conditions: Severe bleeding ,  severe burns, heart attacks, Abdominal ,Crush injuries , loss of body fluid, Bacterial infections

death.