Introduction to First Aid

By: Eyob Eshete (MSc in EMCCN)

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 Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the student will be able
to:
1. Define first aid
2. Recognize the reasons why first aid is given
3. Appreciate values of first aid
4. Identify general directions for giving first aid

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Definition
• First aid is the immediate care given to a
person who has been injured or suddenly taken
ill.
• It includes home care if medical assistance is
not available or delayed.
• It also includes well selected words of
encouragement, evidence of willingness to
help, and promotion of confidence by
demonstration of competence (American red
cross, 1998).
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 Cont’d
• First aid is the initial treatment or help given
to sick particularly injured individuals
before professional medical care becomes
available with the materials at hand
• ’It is the treatment given when an accident or
sudden illness occurs or immediate care given
to a person who has been injured until he / she
is taken to health facilities.’’

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 Characteristics of a first aider
•Must be a good observant
•Resourceful:- use to the best advantage who ever
and what ever is at hand to prevent further damage
•Tactful
•Dexterous: do not cause unnecessary pain
•Explicit: give clear instructions
•Preserving: effortful for success
•Discriminating
•Sympathetic
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 Cont’d
Who will do first aid for causality who is in
emergency condition?
Any first aider who is equipped with principle of
first aid management
Why?
To save life
When?
At any time when injury occurs
Where?
Any where or place
To whom it is applied?
To all who needs to be helped
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Reasons for first aid giving
• To sustain (preserve) life.
E.g. mouth to mouth respiration when
breathing has stopped.
• To prevent worsening of the problem
(complication).
E.g. Immobilizing the fractured bone.
• To promote healing and recovery.
E.g., reassure the patient, relief pain, protect
from cold and arrange patient transfer
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Value of training first aid
• Help for the others
• Self help
• Preparation for emergency
Emergency action principles of first aid
When giving first aid for injured or suddenly ill people there are
six emergency action principles that guide the plan and the action
of first aider.
1. Survey of the scene-in these step after recognizing the
emergency asses for,
• The safeness of scene for yourself and for the victim

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• What happened
• The cause of the injury or sudden illness
• Number of causality
• If other can help
✓ don’t do it your self
✓ Prioritize for life threatening conditions
[Link] the causality for unresponsiveness –if not
respond call for EMS
• Asses for level of consciousness
✓ Conscious-speak and answer question

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✓ Drowsiness –easily aroused but slightly confused
✓ Stupor-aroused with difficulty
✓ Coma-can’t aroused with any stimuli
3. Do primary survey and care for life threatening
problems
After checking for unresponsiveness asses and give care
for the following;
✓ Altered level of consciousness
✓ Air way obstruction
✓ Absence or difficulty of breathing
✓ Loss of heart beat

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✓ Severe bleeding and shock
In this principle, you asses for ABCDE (Assess and fix on
each step)
A. Airway
B. Breathing
C. Circulation
D. Disability
E. Environment
4. Do secondary survey- Head to Toe assessment
• In this step asses for other conditions, which needs first
aid other than ABCDE and give [Link]
✓ Fracture
✓ Little bleeding
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• Check for pulse and breathing
• Examine from head to toe
5. Keep monitoring the casualties’ condition for life
threating problems
6. Help the casualty rest comfortable and provide
reassurance
-manage for anxiety
General direction for giving first aid
A. assessment
• Be calm and be confident
• Talk, listen and reassure the casualty

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• Check safety of casualty and your self
• Get others for help
B. diagnosis
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] of consciousness
C. action
• Remove the cause or
• Remove the casualty from the cause (traffic, fire, water)

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D. treatment
✓ Emergency resuscitation
✓ Control bleeding and shock
✓ Prevent the condition from becoming worse
✓ Cover wound
✓ Immobilize fracture
✓ Move little possible
✓ Transport the victim (to hospital or home)
✓ Never send any one that has been unconscious or
who is shock to home ,seek medical aid

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The three emergency situations that interfere with vital
needs are;
• Lack of breathing and/or heart beat
• Severe bleeding
• A state of unconsciousness
ABC- of first aid
• An open air way
• Adequate breathing
• Sufficient circulation
• Define therapy

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 ABC
Airway
Partial obstruction
• air entry is reduced and noisy
– stridor
– wheeze
– snoring
• ‘see-saw’ respirations
Complete obstruction
• blue lips and tongue
• no breath sounds
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What to do!
• airway clearance
– head tilt/ chin lift
– jaw thrust
• remove visible foreign bodies, debris
• simple airway adjuncts
– oropharyngeal
– nasopharyngeal
• give oxygen

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 Head Tilt-Chin Lift Maneuver
◼ Indications:

◼ Unresponsive

◼ No spinal injury

◼ Unable to protect airway

◼ Contraindications:

◼ Responsive

◼ Possible spinal injury

◼ Unresponsive

◼ Possible spine injury

◼ Unable to protect airway

◼ Contraindications

◼ Resistance to opening the mouth

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Breathing
• Look, listen and feel
• Count the respiratory rate
• Assess the
– depth of each breath
– pattern of respiration
• Listen to breath sounds
– gurgling
– stridor
– wheeze
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Circulation

• Look at the colour of the hands and fingers

• Assess the limb temperature

• Assess capillary refill time

• What is the pulse rate

• Is the pulse strong or weak

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Disability / Level of consciousness
• Full consciousness /ALERT
– able to speak and answer questions normally
• Drowsiness/ RESPONDS TO VOICE
– easily aroused but laps into unconscious state
• Stupor/RESPONDS TO PAIN
– aroused with difficulty, aware of painful stimuli
• Coma/UNRESPONSIVE
– can not be aroused by any stimuli

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 THANK YOU

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